The Dark Lord knows not
by Stahchild
Summary: -ABANDONED- Voldemort has been defeated, the light has won. Alas, for Light's greatest champion, there will be no rest. Weary and in pain he is asked to be the Hero yet again. Blatantly AU after OOTP.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. Any character featured in my story that you remember from the books do not belong to me. I have just borrowed them in order to write my story. Instead they all belong to J.K Rowling and her publishers._

**Chapter One: Prologue**

It was over.

It was finally over.

Sixteen years it had taken. From their first encounter to his resurrection, to his last, and final, defeat.

Over.

He was gone, and if God had mercy he would not be coming back.

The relieved Harry Potter looked around the grave yard. It was symbolic that the monster who had caused so much Death and destruction should meet his end at the very same place that he had been 'rebirthed'.

Fine Ash was the only thing that remained from Voldemort's death eaters. They had pledged themselves to the mark, they assumed it was an indication of the power and life that they would receive, yet in the end it was only a connection to their death. No more death eaters.

Harry could see the body of his best friend lying a few metres from him, standing up he stumbled towards him. He collapsed beside his friend, head bowed, weary and drained. He looked at the face of his friend and smiled.

"You did great mate. You did great."

With that he stood back up and with a wave of his hand and a silent incantation, his friend's body floated up to hover beside him.

"Let's go look for Hermione, Ron."

The Boy-who-lived-to-defeat found energy in being accompanied by one of his friends and staggered among the old and decaying grave stones trying to find his other best friend. He eventually found her underneath a crumbling statue of an Angel.

"There she goes Ron."

He stopped and lowered himself till he was resting on one knee.

"Mione. You should be proud of yourself, I don't think Malfoy thought a muggle-born could kick his arse."

Reaching out a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear he sighed before standing.

"Come on guys. Let's get back to Hogwarts."

Using the same spell he used on Ron he floated up the body of his friend and walked away, both his best friends drifting just beside him.

"I'm so glad it's over. I just wish it hadn't cost so much."

Silence greeted his quiet remark. Harry continued to walk towards the edge of the graveyard, concentrating on manoeuvring their bodies through the closely clustered tombstones.

Just before he reached the last grave he heard a small chirp. Stopping abruptly he looked to his left where the sound had come from.

"Fawkes?"

There among the weeds growing over a derelict grave was a rather gangly and wrinkled looking chick. He was sitting atop a pile full of ashes and looked to be struggling for breath.

Chirp.

Harry bent down and taking off his torn Hogwarts cloak he scooped the little baby phoenix up ashes and all, and placed him in the middle of his folded cloak.

"Hang on Fawkes. I'll get you to Hogwarts and Professor Dumbledore."

Harry, now with his two best friends and a dying Baby Phoenix resumed his short walk to the edge of the graveyard and then stopped. Bending to pick up an old shoe he manipulated his friends bodies so that one of their hands were touching a part of the shoe. He winded one of the laces around Fawkes and then seeing that everything was set he whispered the phrase that would activate the portkey and take them back to Hogwarts.

"There's no place like home."

* * *

He arrived in the great hall to find over a dozen wands pointed at him. 

They were tense and fearful. They were waiting for something, Harry could sense it. He signalled for them to lower their wands, about five of them did, the rest still waiting.

"Love," Harry said, starting off the sentence that had been used to identify Phoenix order members, "the power the dark lord knows not."

With a sigh the remaining order members lowered their wands before smiling.

"Harry? How did it go?" Asked one Order member Harry couldn't see.

The teenager in question waved a hand and his friends body materialized beside him, the invisibility spell he had cast over them falling away. His hands shook as he lowered his friends to the ground.

An order member with Red Hair gasped before with a small scream she ran towards Ron. She fell to her knees beside him and reached out a trembling hand to touch his cheek. Eyes wide with fear, not daring to believe.

"He's c-c-cold. H-he's...I can't...." she trailed off and took a deep breath. With tears trailing down her face, she put two fingers to his neck.

"H-he does-doesn't have a p-p-pulse, Harry," she whispered, grief and dread causing her to stammer. Shaking her head she leaned over Ron's body and put her ear to his chest. She remained that way for what seemed like hours, shoulders shaking, and her heart wrenching sobs muffled against his chest.

The rest of the order members looked on in desolation. Sorrow a common fixture on their faces as they realised that both of the bodies were similar in their state. Some of the older members felt the same grief that had run rampant at the death of Dumbledore return.

Neville approached Hermione's lifeless body bending down he shrugged out of his cloak and placed it over her body. He looked up to the only remaining member of the 'golden trio' and said softly, "Harry? I think it's a good idea if we take them to the infirmary."

Harry nodded his head before bending down to gently pull the sobbing girl from Ron.

"Ginny? Let's take Ron to the hospital wing. O.k?"

Ginny nodded and bit her lip, she raised her tear streaked face to Harry and looked into his eyes.

"At least the three of you were together," she hesitated to try and control the cry that wanted to come out, "he'd prefer to die amongst his friends."

Harry didn't answer, he handed Fawkes over to Neville and levitated his friends into the air. He was exhausted, magically, physically and emotionally. It took him twice as long and more concentration to perform the simple spell, but he did. Everyone in the great hall realised that Harry would not give the bodies of the closest thing to a brother and a sister to anybody else to take.

Walking slowly and wearily toward the exit with a sobbing Ginny crying into Neville's shoulder following behind him, Harry was stopped just outside the door to the great halls by a loud question asked by one of the phoenix members.

"Is the Dark Lord still alive?"

Harry paused before answering, he turned around slowly to look at the terrified, anxious and worried faces in the hall.

"His name is Tom Riddle," his tone dared them to contradict him. "If you cannot call him Voldemort, then at least call him Tom Riddle."

The Order member who had asked the question visibly swallowed and opened his mouth to ask his question again. "Is Y-you, I m-mean, V-voldemort still alive?"

"No," Harry whispered, his voice carrying to all corners of the room. "Not anymore."

* * *

**Five years later**

Time was a healer someone said. All heartache and grief faded with time. For Harry the belief that time would heal could never be true. Time only sought to bring him more pain and more sorrow, and the realisation that he was all alone.

The two friends that had known him better then anyone else were dead. They had died sacrificing their life force through their link to help Harry defeat Voldemort. As powerful as Harry had become, he had used most of his magical strength to weaken Voldemort so that he was in a state that the Contero Anima, created by Dumbledore, could work. It was Ron and Hermione who came to the Rescue, sending their magic, their spirit and in essence their life to refuel Harry. It was a sacrifice made in love and very much similar to the one made by his mother 16 years beforehand. Harry had utilised their sacrifice and in his grief his magic strengthened to the point that even drained and tired, it even the combined forces of Dumbledore and Voldemort would not be able to save the dark lord from defeat.

He had doubted since he had learnt the prophecy that love was enough to defeat the dark lord, but it took the death of his dearest friends to prove it. He missed them all the more for it.

Fawkes had kept Harry company for a while, in fussing over the baby phoenix it helped push his grief back for a bit. The little phoenix had survived for almost two years before finally succumbing to the heart-ache he felt in the loss of Albus Dumbledore. Fawkes had never re-grown to his phoenix form since he had brought him from the graveyard. Harry believed that it was only the presence of both the wands with his tail feather that kept him alive even after the former headmaster had died. The other reason why Harry thought he survived so long was to see the downfall of the monster that had used a part of him to kill his beloved master.

Whatever the reason, Fawkes finally decided to move on. Harry quietly envied the Phoenix for being able to, when he himself could never leave. He had to look out for Ginny after all. She was the only remaining Weasley left, and he had promised Ron that he would look out for her. So it was that he was now in the position that he had never imagined himself to be in.

"Neville. Ginny is a sister to me, you know that. I owe it to all her brothers to make sure that the man who eventually marries her meets their standards."

Neville smiled at Harry and nodded his head in understanding, "I know Harry," he said. "I love her. I love her very much. She means the world to me and you know that. I would suffer the Cruciatus for her."

Harry smiled at Neville's words and then said in amusement, "I doubt very much that it'll come to that Neville. But I'll keep that in mind if she ever comes to me crying because she's unhappy."

Neville grinned. He looked at the-man-who-lived and saw that he had lost weight and there were dark circles under his eyes. His grin faltered and a look of compassion entered his eyes, only those closest to him knew that he was really sick. Harry was powerful, too powerful. He didn't have a link to stabilize him and his mentor wasn't there to ground his magic and shield him from the ethereal core.

"Harry? The Weasley's would be so proud of you. You do know that don't you?" Neville saw the clenching of the jaw and the involuntary furrow of the brow. "Look at how much happier Ginny is now? She's healed almost completely, part of how well she's healed is contributed to me, and my stunning ability to make her happy – "

Harry gave a snort and the corners of his lips twitched up.

"- and the other reason is you. You're more a Weasley then you know Harry."

Harry sighed inwardly, he understood it all, but it didn't make anything any easier. His lips formed a sad smile and then he tried to take the mood from a less gloomy path. "Honestly Neville! Insulting me isn't going to get you my blessing."

Neville laughed out loud to this before replying, "what makes you think I'd need your blessing anyway, Ginny and I can always elope."

Harry shook his head and then smirked and stated with much conviction, "Ginny has you wrapped around her finger Neville, if she wants a big wedding with a Hypogriff pulling her carriage then chances are you'll jump through hoops to give it to her."

Harry paused and then smiled, "which is the reason why I'm more then happy to give you my blessing. On behalf of the Weasley family. You'll make her happy Longbottom, or else I'll hunt you down and use your arse as a beater's bat."

* * *

**Seven years after the Wedding.**

"We are gathered here today to farewell and pay homage to a great man. A Son, A Brother, A Best friend, An Uncle. He came into our lives on the wings of hope, giving us a second chance at life. And he leaves us now on the wings of Love, after ensuring that there would be a future."

Hours later after many had paid their last respects to one of the most powerful wizard in the world, only a small group of people were remaining around the grave. Thirty minutes later it had dwindled down to only three.

The weeping red headed mother stepped away from her husband and reaching out a hand, put her lily on top of the newly covered ground.

"Say Good-bye to Uncle Harry, Arthur."

"Buh-bye Uncly Arry. Miss you."

* * *

_**You are going back Harry**_

_I don't want to go back.....so tired......I want to rest...._

_**They need you.**_

_No they don't....It's peaceful now....Lee is doing a great job as minister.....he has Neville to help him out....they're fine....don't want to go back..._

_**No, your not going back there. Your going somewhere else, another dimension. And they need your help.**_

_Send someone else?......Why can't someone else go?....._

_**You're the only person that can help with them. Others have already been sent back, but it's not enough. They need you.**_

_Haven't I helped enough.....I've done enough...._

_**Yes you have. But you need to do just a little bit more. Their future looks bleak without hope.**_

_I don't want to go....please?....don't send me back...._

_**Please Harry. They need you. You haven't lived yet. This is your second chance to find happiness.**_

_I won't be happy......grief will find me.....I'll never be happy._

_**True. But this life will be worth fighting for. I promise. You'll want to survive for this.**_

_Why?....why is it so important that I go back?_

_**Your other self walked a different path. It was a path filled with much pain and destruction.**_

_That's not so different from mine......My life was filled with pain and destruction._

_**Yes, but you were never the cause of it. You did not seek to inflict it on others. Your other self was very different from you.**_

_What do you mean?......I caused many people's deaths, I caused pain for others......look at the Weasley's.....Sirius.....Cedric......Dumbledore...._

_**Unintentional. They died through no fault of your own. Your guilt blinds you to what really happened. Their choices were their own to make. Do not belittle their sacrifices to satisfy your guilt Harry. This other self felt no guilt. He feels no remorse. He took lives and did not regret doing so.**_

_Why?_

_**While you dedicated your life to defeating Voldemort, he dedicated his to serve. His was a path much different from your own.**_

_I'm not like that......I wouldn't be like that.....would I?_

_**He is not YOU. He made wrong choices. Different choices made by others changed his life from yours. He did not have the suffering you did to influence his decisions. He is not you. So no, you are not like that.**_

_What about the prophecy?_

_**It no longer exists.**_

_I can still destroy Voldemort?_

_**Eventually. Maybe. It all depends on you. Choices made by others changed his timeline from yours. Voldemort was not defeated by your other self as a child. He is much more powerful.**_

_So everything and everyone is different?_

_**Not really. Most are still the same, if not more aware of danger. Not as trusting even. Except the others already sent before you. Their lives have fused with their other selves.**_

_But that would mean.....are you going to fuse my life with the other Harry?_

_**No. You will return as a separate entity. You will return whole. In your own body, with all your memories.**_

_But.....I don't want to go......I just want to rest.....is that selfish of me to want –_

_**No! You are not selfish. I understand that you do not want to involve yourself in another war. Especially a war that should not be yours to fight. But, they need help. I have no-one else to ask.**_

_Then I will go.....but I ask something of you first._

**_Yes?_**

_Promise me that next time I come back here. You will not send me anywhere else._

**_I promise Harry. This will be the last. It's just that I am sensitive to the pain of others. I cannot sit back and watch others suffer when I could make a difference._**

_Who are you?_

_**I am you. Your spirit. It has always been aware of the world around it. The Guardian Elders want to reward you with a life. A family. This is our chance.**_

_You are me?.....Even in spirit form I have a hero complex don't I?_

_**It is called maturity. It is called compassion. It has many names but it is most commonly called 'Love'.**_

_I will go then.....I do not want to though, I am tired of all the pain._

_**So am I. But I have never been broken. We will never be broken.**_

_Who are already there?_

_**You will know. They will know you. Let us go.**_

**__**

* * *

**__**

**A/N:**

There you go. I haven't given up on my other story yet, I've just got this idea bouncing around in my head so I wanted to see if I could make it into a story that others would like. Please Review and let me know if this is worth carrying on with. I know the whole 'different dimension' theme has been done by others but hopefully this is different. Hopefully. Fingers crossed and praying.

Thank you for reading my story.

Stahchild.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Harry Potter then I wouldn't be checking Hp Lexicon and Muggle Net to try and find out who the Half Blood Prince is. I would have already known.

**I will go then.....I do not want to though, I am tired of all the pain.**

_So am I. But I have never been broken. We will never be broken._

**Who are already there?**

_You will know. They will know you. Let us go._

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO**

Ronald Weasley was tired. He was tired of this war; it was a never ending cycle of violence and paranoia in which there was no escape. Every now and then they would have some semblance of peace in which they could recuperate and enjoy what they could. But in the end the peace was always temporary, a reminder of what they were fighting for, of how much they stood to lose if they did not succeed.

In mentioning 'they' he was referring to the Order of the Phoenix. 'Warriors of the light' if one wanted to be so lyrical. The Order was at the forefront of the continuing battle against Voldemort and his death eaters. And as was common, the Order of the Phoenix was currently having a meeting.

"Severus? Any news on when your next assault will occur?"

"None Albus," replied Severus Snape, one of the Order's spy's. "I think the Dark Lord knows he has a mole within his circle, he's decided to keep all plans to himself and a very select few. Even prominent members of the Inner circle do not know much. I believe only 'Parricida' is privy to his plans. I would not be surprised if he was the one that would lead the next strike."

At the mention of 'Parricida' the Potter's and their friends paled. Lily bit her lip and screwed her eyes shut, whereas James visibly hardened his jaw and clenched his hands into fists. To an outsider these reactions would have been passed off as normal taking into account the coming attack, but to the members of the light resistance it was significant to the pain that they had to endure.

Parricida was Voldemort's right hand man. It was rumored that Parricida was second only to his liege in power; he was the Dark lord's favorite and most loyal follower, who according to Snape, left most meetings unscathed.

Ron's brow furrowed in thought. Parricida, latin for 'one who murders a parent or near relative', or the latin translation that order members mostly associated with it, 'a traitor or an assassin'.

It was hard to believe that Parricida was this world's version of his best friend. The Harry Potter that Ron knew and loved would never have received the name 'Parricida' from the order. Parricida, once called Harry Potter, former Slytherin, and one of the most cunning minds to ever graduate from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Now he was Harry Potter the Death Eater. Murderer of the innocent and the man who betrayed his own father to the Dark Lord, before casting the Cruciatus curse himself.

Ron Weasley remembered everything from is 'other' life. He remembered the pain of dying, he remembered the drain of his magic, the love he felt for his best-friend and brother, and he also remembered the intensity of the love reciprocated, the emotion his brother threw into their link when he realized that they were dying for him. It was that emotion that he and Hermione had etched into their soul, a beacon of hope in the dark and trying hours of the morning when they awoke to more horrible news.

He yearned for the life that he had, where he knew that someone would always have his back. It was all so tiring. He was ripped away from serenity and peace to be placed into this warring world. Where there was no comforting link. After having so many reassuring thoughts in his head, he now all of a sudden felt inadequate and incomplete.

Beside Ron, Hermione sat in silence, looking up at the red head she saw the faraway look in his eyes and knew without a doubt that he was thinking about Harry and their former life again.

It had been almost 13 years since they had sacrificed their life and magic for their best friend, and 5 years since they had been thrust back into this world. A new world which was so hauntingly familiar yet still very much different from the one they knew.

Taking a look around the room Hermione remembered the shock when she had woken in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing to find that they were no longer in the world they had been born to, and that the little things that they had known before were now almost irrelevant. Even after the 5 years had passed and they had grown accustomed to the world they lived in, it still felt strange to them.

In the weeks and months following their awakening they had learnt that the former Ron and Hermione hated each other. The past Hermione (whom present Hermione referred to as Granger) and the past Ron (Weasley) were enemies. They did not like each other one bit, Granger thought Weasley was an 'obtuse, dimwitted, brainless oaf', and Weasley thought of Granger as a 'frigid stuck up little bitch'. So imagine everyone's surprise when Ronald Weasley awoke first and refused to leave Hermione's side, that surprise went up to confusion and disbelief a day later when Hermione finally awoke, and amid tears of relief and joy grabbed Ron into an exuberant hug.

The days and months proceeding only got weirder. In trying to find someone who would understand their situation they went to seek out Albus Dumbledore. Unfortunately Hermione and Ron's previous state of relations was not the only thing that was different here. To their shock and horror they discovered that Professor Dumbledore was a permanent fixture in the Hospital Wing, had been for the past year and a half. Coma they said, severe case of magical overload and exhaustion, body and unneeded functions shut down to help healing. Hermione managed to get the story from an old Prophet article (as well as unsuspecting members of the Order, thank you Hagrid) and found out that Dumbledore and a few order members had been ambushed while trying to rescue Potter (she refused to associate her beloved 'Harry' with this traitor) from Death Eaters. Unknowing to them, it was all a setup and while the order members managed to get Dumbledore away to safety once he had gone down, James Potter and Sirius Black had been caught.

What followed was the unveiling of the greatest and most painful betrayal to the light, one in which the Potter's still struggled to accept or discuss, as far as they were concerned Harry Potter was dead, they did not have a son. It was Sirius who came up with the name Parricida, and it stuck.

It had been hard for Hermione and Ron to stem the automatic urge to defend their friend whenever he was insulted or discussed in their presence. It wasn't until Ron himself was attacked by Parricida that they came to an unspoken agreement that this was not 'their' Harry therefore he was a free-for-all if they ever had to attack him. They both strove to ignore the hurt they felt whenever they saw the familiar face during a conflict, but they could not ignore the pang of empty loss after a confrontation. And there was a great many confrontations with Death Eaters. It was obvious to the Order that whatever had happened to Hermione and Ron caused them to have skills in combat and dueling that they never possessed before, and therefore if either could be spared, they were thrown into the fray.

Things started looking up for everyone when two years after their arrival in Hell (as Ron referred to it) Dumbledore awoke suddenly. The Order was not the only organization to rejoice. Other Anti-Voldemort fractions rejoiced too, as well as the general population of Wizarding Europe (Voldemort's influence was successfully blocked by the American ministry; they were competent and did not have internal power struggles that made their British counterpart so unstable). To Ron and Hermione's relief, joy and horror, the Dumbledore that had awoken was their Dumbledore. Unfortunately the horror element came from the fact that there was now two Dumbledore's within the one body, and as Ron pointed out, no-one, bar Harry, could handle one Dumbledore and even then there were times when Harry nearly had to be talked out of flinging himself off of the Astronomy Tower. Voldemort would be in for a nasty surprise.

The Dimension travelers threw themselves into helping out this Order, integrating skills and spells that had been successful in their other life. Hermione was working closely with Lily Potter and a few Unspeakable's to try and find an edge to their war, and Ron was busy with Moody, James, Sirius and Kingsley trying to physically stop the flow of attacks against innocent people. It was working really well, with Dumbledore's return Voldemort had decided to tread softly, it had become a game of chess with each trying to guess the other's move, sometimes the wait was months, fuelling the already anxious and tension filled atmosphere.

When the Order had found out about Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione they were intrigued. Lily and James were very interested in what they had to say about Harry, and in a way it helped to ease the Potter's guilt somewhat in the realization that it was Parricida's own choices that made him into what he was. It was a shock to the entire order to know that in another world Harry Potter was the face of the light, and even more of a shock to find out that not only had he survived the Avada Kedavra, but that he subsequently survived numerous encounters with evil, thereby spearheading their movement and ultimately leading it when Dumbledore 'died'.

Disconnecting herself from her trip down memory lane, Hermione focused back on the meeting to find that Dumbledore had just asked Lily a question about their progress.

"....not getting any closer Albus, it's like we've reached a block and we can't get through. We've looked everywhere. There are some books which we can't decipher, they're written in some sort of language unknown to either Hermione or I. We have Luna looking for something to translate it, but at the moment it's just a sit and wait game."

Lily looked disappointed, it had become such a common feeling among the members of the order and it was no different now. Progress was so slow yet everything their enemies threw at them was at a quick and furious pace.

Arthur Weasley, Ron's father, ran his hand through his hair in obvious confusion. "Would you mind explaining what it is that you're trying to look for? If it's not too much of a secret," he asked.

Lily looked at Albus for permission, with an encouraging nod she turned to Arthur and the rest of the order and explained.

"We, the research and development team are trying to find someway of replicating both Hermione and Ron's bond with Harry. We obviously can't use the exact magic or bond used as their link was magically fuelled by Harry. All we want to do is find a workable equivalent that allows us to link between more then one person. In the trio's link they were able to 'borrow' Harry's excess magic to amplify their own, and as proven with their deaths they were also able to 'give' their magic to Harry to strengthen him."

Lily stopped and looked at Hermione, "you could probably explain it better dear since you were so intimately involved with its creation."

Hermione nodded and pausing to gather her thoughts she launched into what she knew.

"The sole reason why Ron, Harry and I created the link in the first place was so that we could anchor his magic. He had such an extraordinary amount of Raw Magic that if he attempted to do something that needed a large amount of power he wasn't able to control the flow."

Hermione looked around and saw confusion on most people's face. Ron had seen it too and decided to jump in.

"It's like opening a door. If there are only a small amount of people behind the door you can control how many people can come in and out, whereas if you had a huge amount of people on either side it would be harder to control. You have people pushing to get in from the other side and another large amount of people pushing to get out."

After numerous 'Ohs' and 'aahhs' Hermione took control again.

"Right, now still using the door as an example; normal magic users like you and me could have around 100 people (average power) to 1 000 people (powerful) on either side of the door. We are capable of controlling it, yes we may have some sort of struggle but it's not too farfetched to say that eventually, given time we'll get the hang of it.

With a more powerful wizard, like Professor Dumbledore ("My dear your making me blush") will have somewhere around 10 000 people on either side – all an estimate mind you. That would be harder to control, but if he had external help to help control the flow then it allows for a much greater usage of the magic available, with the minimal unstable side effects that usually come with it.

That is what Ron and I did. We were the external help that Harry needed to help stabilize (or anchor) his magic so that he had access to a larger portion of his magical reserve. We stood at the door and controlled who came in and out, allowing Harry to focus on what he wanted to use those people for. Understand?"

Taking a huge breath, Hermione let it out and sat back into her seat. Ron squeezed her hand encouragingly in which she returned with a smile of gratitude.

"Unfortunately or fortunately depending on which way you look at it, Harry's magic far exceeded Albus'. It was a lot of magic. His magic was growing at such an alarming rate that it was utilizing Harry himself as a conductor, possibly to make a little bit more room I guess. It had come to the point where even simple spells like levitation became extremely unstable for Harry to use. One time he tried to levitate a cushion and instead levitated every other item as well as the people in the room. A simple accio spell cast on a book in the library caused every single book within that area of the library to be summoned too.

You may laugh, but we didn't find it funny a few days later when during a dementor attack in Hogsmeade Harry cast his Patronus and ended up booking himself a bed in the Hospital Wing for the next 2 weeks, he was unconscious for the entire time. His body and mind couldn't process the magic that he had summoned and therefore started fighting it instead. Combined with the emotional and psychological beating the Dementors were doing to him his entire body shutdown."

Handing Hermione a glass of water, Ron decided to give her a rest and took over the explanation himself. He knew the next part.

"Knocking Harry unconscious was his magic's way of trying to save his life, I guess it was trying to give Harry's magic time to redistribute in his body. Hermione and I didn't like what was happening to Harry, he was only 16 and his magic was doing things that were not common. Prof- Albus gave us permission to look in the restricted library for a way to help Harry, when he finally awoke we still weren't anywhere near finding a solution. He was told not to do any spells for a while just to see if there were any side effects. When Madame Pomfrey finally let him try magic we found that he could no longer use his wand. We couldn't find any reason for it at first, let me just say that looking back seeing Dumbledore panic was fun- ouch Hermione!

Ummm, yeah. Anyway we found out a month later that Harry didn't need a wand anymore, he had basically become his wand. You know. Wandless magic. The only thing though was that it would only work if he said the incantations in parseltounge. We found out during an attack, good thing Voldemort's snake was attacking Hermione then else we wouldn't have known and the shit would have really hit the fan eh -Ouch! Hermione!"

Said female regretted giving Ron control over her explanation and decided that taking it back was in order. So after a smack across the head with a rolled up Daily Prophet she took over the explanation. .

"Really Ron! I can see that some of you aren't handling Harry being able to speak Parsletounge really well. Harry was not evil, sorry, **Our **Harry is not evil. Regardless of the fact that he knew how to speak the snake language. Your Harry didn't know how to speak Parseltounge and yet he decided to join Tom Riddle. Harry found out he could speak it the same time the rest of the school found it. It was quite an unpleasant surprise yet Harry turned it into an advantage and used it to help us in the war. As for why could he only say spells in parseltounge? I don't know. The only possible explanation is that when Tom gave Harry the cursed scar he shared some of his questionable talents with him too. Parseltounge is magic of it's own whether you want to believe it or not. Magic does not distinguish between forms and therefore when trying to redistribute itself within Harry it unintentionally made Parseltounge the only language it would activate with. It may seem like a deficient explanation but that's the only one we could come up with."

The Order of the Phoenix was now completely riveted with what Hermione was saying.

"You say this happened in his sixth year? And he was 16?" This was asked by Remus.

Hermione nodded and smiled. She knew where Remus was going with his question; he was one of the few that would have automatically known. His next question proved her right.

"So Harry was going through his majority then?"

Hermione nodded again. Wizards usually reached their majority between the ages 15 and 18, it usually signified the third stage of magical development in which they would gain access to most of their magical reserve.

"But I don't understand. Even taking into account Harry being a special case, I doubt even Albus or Voldemort went through such a process in which their magic became dangerous to their health."

Hermione pursed her lips and hesitated before trying to explain.

"Harry was always going to have it more difficult then others once he reached his majority. This is the same person who had enough magic to cast a Patronus charm, how could a thirteen year old have enough magic to fuel a Patronus that most adults couldn't do. This is also the same person whose accidental magic was powerful enough to assist him in apparation at an age where accidental magic should have been tapering out for him.

Albus and I believe when Voldemort gave Harry his scar he also gave Harry a part of his own Magical Reserve. So we think that Harry might have been running on Voldemort's involuntarily sacrificed magic. That magic suppressed Harry's natural magic, suppressed it, but not stumping its growth.

I'm assumming that we all know about the stages of magical development right?"

Hermione sighed when at least half of the order (the male's) gave her negative shakes of their heads.

"Really. Don't you boy's ever read?" she said in exasperation.

"Of course we do Her-

"Quidditch books and magazines don't count Ron. It's a load of rubbish!"

Ron (and a dozen other men) looked at Hermione like she was a new type of species that they had never seen before. Hermione ignore all this of course and started talking.

"Stage one is known as the Conditioning stage. Accidental Magic is strongest during this time as it works to familiarize the entity with its magic. All magical creatures go through this stage. Once the body has gotten to the point where the magic is no longer foreign you'll find that the accidental magic starts to taper off, which didn't happen for Harry and I'll try to explain later. We now move on stage two.

Strengthening occurs in this stage. The accidental magic while physically diminishing, it isn't within the body. It will work to strengthen the mind and the body's wards for development. This is also the part where you find that wizards become less susceptible to physical injury, you know, falling off a broom and all that. Where stage one will occur between 0 and 6 years of age, two will occur roughly between 6 and 10.

The third stage is Development. Occurring between 10 and 15, Development is what can otherwise be called the three F's: Foundation, Fuel and Flourish. This is where the basis of magic, the very foundation in which every other knowledge of magic will be built on, is learnt. From there everything else gained will only feed one's magic enabling it to grow. You then get a cycle, growth, add to the foundation, stable foundation accumulation of knowledge, accumulation of knowledge leads to growth. Once the mind and the body think that it's learnt enough it will move on, and the witch or wizard will then reach majority. Stage Four.

This is where Harry is meant to be. Access to the larger reserve of the wizards magic to help the three F's to a whole new level. Gained at around 15/16, Majority does not stop until Maximum is reached. Most wizards and witches will die without reaching their Maximum potential (total access to Magical Reserve), your own magic will decide whether or not your body can handle all that power. Most won't be able to; I think Professor Dumbledore might be close. But succeeding in having full control of one's magical reserve is difficult, it only stands to reason the next and final level, learning to control your Magical Core, is near impossible.

There is only one wizard in history that has managed to completely control their Core and that was Merlin."

When Hermione paused for a sip of water Professor Flitwick jumped in with a question, "Your Harry never reached this? Then how did he manage to defeat You-know-who?"

Hermione closed her eyes as she remembered the dying minutes of their link, "the spell used to destroy Voldemort was created by Albus -"

"Why can't we use that spell to destroy The Dark Lord?" interrupted Snape.

"The 'Contero Anima' could only be performed by a person who had the same blood running through their veins as the one whom the spell is intended for. Voldemort took care of that requirement when Harry's blood was used in his resurrection. Unless by some miracle the Dark Lord has reproduced and we don't know about it, we can't use the Contero. And anyway, even if there was a blood relative, there isn't anyone who has enough power to carry off a spell of that Magnitude. It's beyond our capabilities. I wish Harry was here."

Everyone looked away to give Hermione time to get herself back in control. They knew that all three of the travelers missed him, it was hard for them to figure that out sometimes.

Sirius, who had been uncommonly quiet for the last hour decided that Hermione had enough time to sulk. So he asked a question.

"But it still doesn't explain why it is that Harry had a harder Majority then everyone else. And how does all that come back to the spell you're trying to create?"

Lily rolled her eyes. _Men!_ She thought, _sometimes they had the understanding of a hypogriff in heat._

"Sirius," she said with exaggerated patience. "The link they had allowed them to share more then just thoughts and emotions, but also their magic. Imagine if we can pool our magic together? We may not be able to use the Contero spell but we'd be able to create another of our own. And in the best thing about it is it won't become another Unforgivable since nobody else will be able to use it."

Hermione nodded and added her bit to Lily's explanation.

"It also allows better communication for the Order. The spell Ron and I used with Harry could only be cast between three people, we didn't have accessibility to the books within the Department of Mysteries and we certainly didn't have the assistance of top Unspeakables.

As for the first part of your question, it all comes back to when Voldemort - "

At this Hermione stopped and sighed, "when will you people stop flinching at the mention of his name. I have stated his name so many times and all the flinches are becoming annoying!"

Shaking her head she went back to her original topic, "where was I? Oh yes, it all comes back to when Voldemort cursed Harry. He unknowingly and inadvertently confounded Harry's natural magic development into giving him what might have been two Majorities."

Numerous horrified Gasps echoed around the room, members of the Order looked at Hermione of wide eyes. But Remus Lupin (God bless his soul) had a pensive look on his face which was explained with his next question.

"How was that possible?" he asked intrigued.

"Harry's body and mind was never properly conditioned as it would normally. Your magic conditions your body so that it reacts like it would a wand. One does not get the same results if you use someone else's wand as you would if you use your own. In using Voldemort's sacrificed magic Harry suppressed his own natural one, you had adult magic trying to condition a fledgling magical being.

His body become much more capable of using larger quantities of magic at a younger age, but in doing so Harry took shortcuts in magical developments. Harry's magic became unstable, he was able to do advance magic like a full Corporeal Patronus at age 13 yet had problems with a simple summoning charm. He had skipped magical development, and it had all become a jumble. This was all later corrected, in a way, by his natural magic during Majority."

She paused as a few people finally understood where she was going. It was Remus who took up the unspoken challenge to try and explain it back to her.

"So what you're saying is, that where in Majority it would be the Magical Reserve that could be accessed, with Harry it was his natural and original magic? Thereby leaving his Magical Reserve still there to be used? So what did his body do?"

Hermione nodded during Remus explanation and then answered his last question.

"It did the one thing it could to correct it. It unleashed the entirety of Harry's natural magic, it filled in the gaps of Harry's development and fused with Voldemort's magic. That's the reason for the wandless abilities that Harry soon received. Harry was so full of magic that his body rushed to find ways to use everything. His wand was no longer enough of a channel for his magic so it manipulated Harry into a wandcore. When Harry shut down for 2 weeks his magic used that time to do a the Superspeed version of Magical Development."

Flitwick squeaked "so did Harry destroy you-know-who and reach his maximum potential?"

It was Ron who answered, shaking his head he said, "No. Harry still hadn't figured out how to access more then 10 of his Magical Reserve. When Harry defeated Voldemort I guess you can say it was a one-off. Harry used all the magic he could, and some of his Magical Reserve to weaken Voldemort so that the Contero could be used. But when he got to that point he must have realized that he didn't have enough energy to go any further. That's where we came in. We utilized the link and poured our magic as well as our Reserve into him. We hadn't controlled it or anything we just let it go. It temporarily made Harry more Powerful then anyone in existence, but like I said, it was temporary. Harry would have probably been sick for months, later on."

The Room was quiet as people tried to assimilate the new information. Hermione could see some people struggling with the entire concept of Harry and his Magical Development, she doubted there was any other way she could explain it in easier and simple terms. Magical Development could never be explained in that way. As for the link, well, she still fought to understand that sometimes too.

Snape opened his mouth to ask a question but was interrupted when the Floo chimes went off signaling someone was trying to contact them.

All eyes went to the Fireplace in the far side of the room, as a head popped up in the grate.

"Ginny?!"

"Professor! Please Hurry, we're being attacked. The Wards are weakening. Death Eaters."

* * *

A man, dressed in Gold and Burgundy apparrated onto a hill overlooking a house four stories tall. The village was Ottery St Catchpole, and house looked so crazy that you couldn't help but think it was held up by magic.

Dusk was creeping up on the area, there was light enough but the dark cloaked figures with masks trying to spell the wards, would have been hard to see.

The man standing on the hill looked to be in his mid 20's. A hood kept his face in the shadows but he looked to be just over 6ft tall. He was in no-way muscular but he looked like a man who dedicated himself to his sports. It was hard to tell thought what with the cloak.

He was watching the two dozen menacing figures as they attempted to weaken the wards. The man could sense that the house was occupied still, five people still in there. He watched as three of the cloaked figures raised their wands and created anti-apparition wards. Two others created wards that interfered with port-key travel.

The stranger couldn't do much. He was still weak from his travels, but he couldn't stand back and not do anything. Reaching out his hand he started chanting. Or rather hissing. If anyone had been watching they would have found the display eerie, yet one could not deny the power that radiated from the man.

The wards rippled with energy, just enough to delay the masked people a while longer. Just enough to allow one of the inhabitants of the house to floo for help. The cloaked figures looked at each other in confusion, starting again they raised their wands and started chanting.

Dropping his arm in exhaustion the man continued to watch. He saw the wards ripple and strain with tension. _It won't be long now_, he thought to himself.

The wards dropped and as they started forward towards the house, a group of people apparated into the yard.

Spells and Curses flew everywhere as the attack commenced. They were evenly matched. For a while at least. The hooded figure on the hill continued to observe. The passive stance belied his worry as he watched the old man bring down another of the cloaked figure.

He saw two men run out from the house wands raised. There were at least four people down now, three of them still had on there masks. Watching still, he saw a brown haired woman get hit by a curse. She was bleeding, but she was still fighting. Back to back with a Red head.

Then he sensed it. Others were coming in. Turning to a point a 10 metres away from the pair he saw a dozen more masked figures appear. He froze. Too many. They were outnumbered.

The pair was isolated from their friends. The old man and some others were fighting to get to them but more black cloaks got in the way. The stranger watched as a red haired woman ran out of the house to try and help, he watched as an enemy raised his wand to curse her and then watched as she fell to the ground in agony. Mum. He heard another cry.

He had had enough. It was time to join in and punish her attacker. He did not like that spell, many times had he suffered under it.

He disappeared from the hill to appear behind her assailant. The man cut of the curse to look up in shock, right in time to get a fist in his face and hissed spell for his efforts.

He walked over to the Woman and looked down at her. He knew her face. Reaching down he touched her shoulder and hissed a spell, she disappeared from the ground and reappeared in the living room of her house.

Looking up he saw that the pair were not faring well. They were tiring out and were becoming sloppy. He raised his right hand palm up and starting hissing, a ball of red light the size of a snitch formed in his palm. Clenching his hand he threw it towards them. The red-haired man turned around to try and stop his attacker from behind in time to see five of them fall to the ground. He looked towards the figure who helped him in confusion.

Ron was so tired. And so was Hermione. He felt someone attacking him from behind, spinning around he knew that this could be it for him, but stopped in shock when he saw that all four of his attackers were on the ground. A ball of red light flew past his head spinning around he saw that the death eater's fighting Hermione had gotten hit too.

Whirling around he searched out who it was that helped them only to see a man in a hooded cloak throwing Red light to other death eaters.

The rest of the Order members gradually became aware that Death Eaters were falling all over the place, but the dismissed it as a spell from one of their people. It wasn't until the last death-eater had fallen that they finally took a look around.

A few order members had their wands pointed at a hooded man. It wasn't long before the rest followed suite.

"Who are you?!"

This was asked by Moody. They all waited for an answer. All they could hear was the heavy breathing and shuffling of feet.

"Who are you lad?!"

Again Moody got no answer. He moved to ask a third time when Dumbledore held up his hand. With a shake of his head he indicated that he would take over.

"I would like to thank you for your assistance. My name is Albus Dumbledore. May I enquire as to who you are?"

Silence.

"Please. Will you not answer me? Who am I to thank?"

Silence.

"How – "

"I don't think you would believe me if I was to tell you who I was Professor," said the stranger. "It has been a while since we last saw each other. And even then I do not think you would remember me."

Dumbledore took a step forward and smiled.

"Why not leave that to me child. How will I know if you are right if I do not see who you are? Take down your hood then. If you will not give me a name, then at least give me a face to attempt to remember."

The figure in the middle of the courtyard moved his arms up. The order members stiffened and raised their wands as one, just in case.

There was enough light to see that the figure was wearing a dark red velvet cloak. He lowered his head so that his chin was nearly touching his chest and slowly pushed his cloak back.

He had black hair. Messy black hair, about shoulder length it looked like. Raising his head his he looked straight into Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes.

"Do you know me now Professor?" he asked softly.

Dumbledore's eyes widened. His throat constricted and he was sure that he stopped breathing.

The man reached up his right hand pushed his hair out of his forehead. A jagged cut graced his forehead.

Hermione and Ron Gasped. Hermione put her hand to her mouth not daring to believe.

Dumbledore took a step forward, and then another, and then another one. He kept going until he was less then meter in front of the stranger.

The rest of the order watched riveted as their leader reached his hand up and touched his long fingers to the scar, tracing the lightening bolt almost reverently. He moved his arms and gripped the man's shoulders. A lone tear made its way down the old wizards face while twinkling blue eyes met jade green.

"I know you very well son. It is so wonderful to see you again Harry."

And with that he pulled him into a hug.

* * *

**AN**

**There's probably errors galore in this story. Sorry. This is my update, hopefully it makes sense. Review and let me know what I'm doing wrong. Constructive criticism is very welcome. Thank you very much for reading this story. **

**Stahchild.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: Look to the top of the last chapter.

* * *

**Previous Chapter:**

There was enough light to see that the figure was wearing a dark red velvet cloak. He lowered his head so that his chin was nearly touching his chest and slowly pushed his cloak back.

He had black hair. Messy black hair, about shoulder length it looked like. Raising his head his he looked straight into Albus Dumbledore's blue eyes.

"Do you know me now Professor?" he asked softly.

Dumbledore's eyes widened. His throat constricted and he was sure that he stopped breathing.

The man reached up his right hand pushed his hair out of his forehead. A jagged cut graced his forehead.

Hermione and Ron Gasped. Hermione put her hand to her mouth not daring to believe.

Dumbledore took a step forward, and then another, and then another one. He kept going until he was less then meter in front of the stranger.

The rest of the order watched riveted as their leader reached his hand up and touched his long fingers to the scar, tracing the lightening bolt almost reverently. He moved his arms and gripped the man's shoulders. A lone tear made its way down the old wizards face while twinkling blue eyes met jade green.

"I know you very well son. It is so wonderful to see you again Harry."

And with that he pulled him into a hug.

**CHAPTER THREE**

Air was starting to become a problem for Harry, his mentor had him in a tight embrace that would have put Hagrid to shame. But he ignored it all and opted to hug the old man back with just as much enthusiasm.

Finally breaking the hug, Dumbledore held Harry's shoulders and set him away, just enough so that he could look into his eyes. Eye's twinkling he looked Harry up and down and broke into a huge smile.

"It has been a while my boy. I should have known that sooner or later I would see you."

Harry returned the smile with a watery grin of his own and instead of answering chose to hug him again instead. Dumbledore understood of course, they hadn't said goodbye the last time around, his death had been sudden.

Stepping back Harry wiped away the tears that had escaped his eyes and flashed a apologetic smile to his mentor.

"I've missed you more then you know. If I had realised that dying would have sent me here I would have done it earlier," he joked.

Dumbledore laughed and slapped him on the back, he was about to reply before a trembling voice spoke from behind him.

"H-Harry?"

Harry gave a lopsided smile as tears blurred his vision of his best friend.

"Hullo Ron..... You remember me then?" he said uncertainly.

Ron Weasley gave a tremulous laugh which hitched on a sob and took a running step, grabbing his best friend into a hug he pounded him on the back before clutching him like a man drowning. He felt Harry return the hug with as much intensity and faintly heard him whisper how it was good to see him, how he missed him, and every other thing that best friends say to each other after coming back from the dead. Ron, too lost in his joy and exhilaration, couldn't really hear it all.

It was a few minutes before either man let go, but when they did Ron was pushed out of the way by brown haired female that was part of this legendary trio.

Enfolding Harry in a bear hug, Hermione proceeded to sob all over his shoulder. Shoulders violently shuddering with sobs, she released all the pent up emotions that had consumed her since the day she awoke to find Harry was not there with them. Her relief that Harry was really here with them now had all but driven her over the edge, right into the emotional wreck that the current Order members associated with the past Hermione.

The victim of her rib cracking hold and the shoulder in which she had soaked, temporarily forgot that he was never comfortable around crying and emotional females, held her lovingly (or as lovingly as one could with a restricted supply of air) and muttered comforting words into her ear instead. Looking over her shoulder to Ron he saw him shrug and mouth the words 'mental' before grinning and throwing himself into the hug too.

Looking on in confusion the Order members watched as their leader and their two best members had an emotional reunion with the scar-headed stranger. They didn't know who he was but if Albus Dumbledore trusted him (and he must have, how often do you see the most powerful light wizard in the world forget 'constant vigilance' so as to hug a complete stranger?) and Ron/Hermione trusted him then he was probably safe. So lowering their wands, though not putting it away (even though Albus trusted him they still didn't know who he was) they stood and waited for the trio to remember that they were still there.

And waited. And waited. And waited. Before Sirius finally gave up and cleared his throat. And cleared it again louder. Before coughing loudly. And then finally giving up altogether and interrupted the emotional group hug (sans Dumbledore who was watching the scene with goddamned twinkle and a smile).

"Excuse me!"

The trio still ignored them, they had broken apart from their group hug and instead had their arms linked while standing in a mini circle. The duo looking at Harry and Harry looking between each of the duo. Dumbledore on the other hand had heard him and smiled at him like he had just seen him, and they had not just finished fighting a group of death eaters (which were still stunned (or injured) on the ground).

"Excuse me!!" he said, this time much louder.

Dumbledore smiled at him before reaching into his robe, the order members (and Sirius) thinking that he was finally going to help them gain their attention, looked on as he took out his lemon drops instead. Popping one into his mouth he looked back. And smiled.

Sirius had had enough of waiting. He was at his wit's end, he didn't like being ignored and he was tired. It was getting darker, and it was getting cold. Their happy reunion could wait. Opening his mouth he was beaten to it by James.

"EXCUSE ME!" he all but yelled.

The trio started and looked to him. Hermione had a disgruntled look on her face that said 'did you really need to shout?', while Ron's face clearly said 'your still here?'. It was the strangers face that was the most intriguing. Illuminated by 'lumos' spells cast by order members, the most experienced Members watched the flow of emotions skitter across his face as he looked at James...and then Lily. Amazement, denial, joy and sadness followed one after another before he took on a blank mask.

James filed away the stranger's reaction to be brought out and queried later. Instead he focused on the trio.

"I hate to interrupt what is obviously a happy reunion but we were wondering Albus what to do with them," he said nodding towards the death eaters.

Albus looked at the trio, the elation was starting to wear off and it wouldn't be long before exhaustion would follow. Reading Harry's aura he saw that he was near magical exhaustion and that chances were, he'd be unconscious for a few days. Making up his mind he took out his second packet of unopened lemon drops (all eyebrows went up at this), and muttered a spell.

"Alastor, Kinglsey, James and Sirius. Kindly take our masked friends to the headquarters holding cells. I mean no offence to our Aurors but I do not know if the treachery within the ministry has spread to our crime department. I think we would all be happier if they were where we could keep an eye on them. For now.

I apologise to those who were injured. In my joy I had momentarily forgotten you. Lily, Alice, if you will. If they are badly hurt take them to St. Mungo's but if you can treat them adequately at headquarters then do so."

Lily and Alice nodded, they had already sent Sturgis Podmore to St. Mungos with Catherine and Lewis as his guards. He was the only one with a major injury.

"Can you send along Poppy, Albus?" asked Lily, as she conjured a Port-key for Tonks (she had broken her arm as she tripped over a fleeing chicken).

Albus nodded before replying. "I'll send her over but she might be otherwise engaged, if you need her expertise contact me and I'll send her right over."

By the end of his reply most of the injured (which numbered 10) had been port-keyed away. There were only about 4 death-eaters remaining on the ground, but they quickly disappeared too as Sirius grabbed them, none too gently.

"As for the rest of you, get some rest, and get something to eat. I thank you for your help. I will contact you concerning our next meeting," he said to all those that still remained. He noticed that the only Weasley still there was Ron, discerning this Remus answered his unspoken question.

"Molly was hurt with the Cruciatus curse when she came out to help Hermione and Ron," he said sadly. Ron froze and looking quickly at his friends he took off running towards the house.

Hermione looked at Harry, torn between wanting to support her boyfriend and not wanting to leave her best friends side. Harry sensing this mentally smiled, he'd missed this.

"Go Hermione," hugging her lightly, he gave her a gentle push. "Ron needs you. I won't go anywhere I promise. We'll talk later, I'll be with Albus."

Smiling in relief she stood on tiptoe and pecked Harry on the cheek. She hugged him once more and then stared at Albus with a look that promised pain if anything should happen to Harry before they saw him again. She then took off running after Ron.

Looking around Harry saw that it was only Albus, Remus, McGonagall, Hagrid and himself remaining. Now that everyone else had gone Harry felt his exhaustion start to build. It had been a long and emotional day and he just wanted to lie down and get some sleep.

Ignoring the enquiring gaze from those still present, Dumbledore held out his packet of Lemon Drops motioning for all of them to put a hand on it.

"It will take us straight to the Infirmary," he said teasingly, "really Harry, there's no need to groan."

Remus, McGonagall and Hagrid gave Harry a surprised look when he replied, "Once you've spent as much time there as me, then you can try to lecture me on my reactions. And no, visiting me whilst in that blasted place doesn't count."

Albus could only laugh at this as the Port-key activated with the password, "welcome home."

* * *

Appearing in the hospital wing, Harry stumbled and had to hold onto Hagrid to stop himself from kissing the ground.

"Albus what in the world?!" came the enraged voice of one Poppy Pomfrey.

Dumbledore took a quick step back, he had forgotten that said nurse hated people appearing out of thin air inside her Hospital. The wizened Headmaster did some quick thinking, trying to think of a way to extradite himself out of the telling off he was going to receive soon and thinking of a way to get Harry to submit to a look over from the nurse. Deciding that there was only one option (he had noticed that Harry was slowly backing out towards the Infirmary Door where Hagrid and McGonagall had successfully disappeared), and that it thankfully took care of two birds with one stone, he hoped that Harry would forgive him, and said so out loud.

"Forgive me Harry," he whispered out of the side of his mouth.

Harry stop startled and was about to ask 'for what?' when he noticed the calculating twinkle in the old man's eyes. _Oh no! This is not good, _he thought to himself. And indeed it wasn't.

"Poppy, my dear," he said in a soothing oh-it's-a-tragedy sort of voice, "this young man here is Harry, and I believe he's suffering from exhaustion and something else. I did not want to appear in the entrance hall and then have him climb all those stairs in his unknown state."

The nurse turned her head sharply to where Harry was frozen in shock. _That manipulative Bastard! _he was internally screaming. The old codger, having some idea as to what Harry was calling him latched on to Harry's arm with strength that denied his age, and dragged him towards himself.

"Why look at him, he looks just about to collapse," he carried on, although his voice had changed to an 'if-you-don't-see-it-then-your-not-really-good-at-what-you-do' tone. "I apologise profusely Poppy dear, but you must see that I had no choice."

Poppy, faced with a dilemma, torn between berating Albus and helping an injured patient decided he could do the former later. Grabbing the young man called Harry, she marched him over to the nearest bed (which ironically was the bed Harry usually occupied) and pushed him onto it, with a sharp no-nonsense "SIT!" which was then followed by "LIE BACK!" and then in a tone that screamed 'do not even think of doing otherwise' "RELAX!"

Harry sat, Harry lay back, but try as he might (and he really was trying, really really hard) he could not relax. He cursed Dumbledore over and over again and found that it was helping somewhat, looking out of the corner of his eye, he saw said headmaster trying to sneak out of the ward. _Relax! She says, I know just how to relax._

"Madame Pomfrey, I'm a little bit worried about Professor Dumbledore too," he said in a solemn voice. "He looked quite peaky when the Death Eater almost hit him with that really nasty looking curse that probably would have broken his ribs or ripped his head off or even impaled him with a tree trunk."

Madame Pomfrey paled and stiffened with each scenario of what the curse could have done, and whipped around to look at the Headmaster who had just reached the doors to the ward.

"ALBUS! BED! NOW!" she yelled. Marching over to the nearest bed she stood with hands on hips while waiting for the Headmaster to reach her.

Albus turned around slowly, and walked in a way that one would usually associate with people going to their death and people with nothing left to live for. He shot Harry a look that clearly said 'I love you dear boy, but why did you have to come back to life'. The blasted boy (in which Dumbledore had taken to calling him in his head) just smirked back at him and then whispered out of the corner of his mouth, "your forgiven Albus". Blasted boy indeed.

The Nurse had not seen all this of course and had made Albus lie back, much the way she had Harry. She then told him in no uncertain terms not to move or else he'd have to face dire consequences, and turned back to her former patient. Whatever spell she started to cast on Harry must have told her whatever it was that she was looking for, because she paled considerably again, before eyes flashing (which signified an oncoming tantrum), she let loose.

"WHAT ON EARTH HAVE YOU BEEN DOING TO YOURSELF?!!! MAGICAL EXHAUSTION!! YOU BOYS GO AROUND CASTING SPELLS LEFT RIGHT AND CENTRE WITH ABSOLUTELY NO REGARDS TO HOW IT AFFECTS YOU. NONE AT ALL!! WHY ON EARTH THE HIGHER BEINGS GAVE YOU PEOPLE BRAINS I WILL NEVER KNOW, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY NEGLECTED TO GIVE YOU INSTRUCTION MANUALS ON HOW TO USE THEM!"

Turning around on her heels she stalked out of the ward to a room at the back where they could still hear her muttering under her breath about immaturity, given a wand not knowing how to use it, and how men thought they could hide their inadequacies by overusing magic. The latter insulted both Harry and Dumbledore to no end as they both thought they had no inadequacies, thank you very much.

Marching back in she flicked her wand and changed Harry's clothes to hospital wear, and then preceded to hand potion after potion to Harry and ordering him to drink it. The last potion Harry knew quite well, as he was very familiar with the effects. Dreamless sleep Potion. _Haven't tasted that in a while_, was his last thought before he succumbed to unconsciousness.

Dumbledore having seen what happened to Harry decided that he didn't want to go that way at all. Putting on his most charming smile (extra wattage), he decided to use his slytherin side.

"Poppy, I don't believe I need Dreamless Sleep Potion," he said enthusiastically, "I have much to do tod –"

Poppy interrupted him with a 'what-on-earth-would-you-know' glare and a 'i-will-do-what-I-want' pose.

"Unfortunately Albus, I beg to differ. You're far too happy, and that is concrete evidence that you are suffering from some type of exhaustion. Now drink this.....and this......and this....and finally this...."

Albus not being able to halter Poppy while she was on a war path did as he was told and drank each potion as it was handed to him. Wanting to give it one last try he held the last vial and looked at her with begging eyes.

"I'll just have a little nap then Poppy, I have much to do."

The nurse looked at Albus with a gaze that was unlike the calculating one he had given to Harry, "alright Albus. Give me the vial, I'll dilute the dosage and it should knock you out for a few hours at most."

The headmaster beamed at the nurse and handed the vial over, silently congratulating himself on a manipulation well done. Taking the vial back he downed it in one go, and then settled himself into his hospital bed. Muttering a small thank you to Poppy he started to drift away.

"Very good Albus, you should wake up by tomorrow evening," she said triumphantly.

Albus eyes, which had been drifting close, snapped open. His voice slurred with the effects of the potion he said, "bu' yoush'd a fu 'oursh."

Poppy looked startled for a minute before saying, "yes, yes I did say that it would only be a few hours didn't I? Whoopsie Daisy. Must have performed that spell incorrectly."

Then she smiled victoriously down at him and sauntered away.

_That wretched cow!_ Was his last thought before sinking into oblivion.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

Just a quick update, I was going to add on some more to the end of this chapter, but I thought that the reunion of the Trio had to be in a chapter of its own. Not much action or interaction with other characters, but that will probably occur in the next chapter. And if not the chapter after that.

For those of you who are wondering why the Order Member's didn't react negatively to seeing Harry the answer is that 'Parricida' and Harry 'The-boy-who-defeated-Voldemort' Potter don't look the same. Situations and upbringings contributed largely to this. After all 'raised by Dursley's' and 'raised by lily and james' would have different effects on how the Harry's would eventually turn out.

Which brings me to what I've decided my future Authors note's are going to be about.

To try and keep explanations about Harry's powers and what-not in the story to an acceptable length, if I still think you'll be confused I'll explain it in more depth in the Author's note. I know it'll make for a really long A/N but it means that the story will not drag halfway through the middle because of some technical explanations. I hope that this is alright with you all. If you don't want me to do that, then let me know in the reviews and I'll include it in the story instead.

This does not mean though that you should be expecting long and detailed analysis of something or other, no, it's just a precaution against something like the previous chapter happening; In which there was a huge explanation that (I believe) dragged the story into a science fest.

Oh, and if there are any questions asked in the reviews, like other author's I'll be answering it here too. But you probably already know that anyway, as intelligent as you all are :D.

Thank you very much to the following for your criticism, support and regular dozes of Benzodiazophine:

**Kaylee-Smith: **I have a beta for my other story, and as much as I want to use a beta I become an absolute wreck when I think someone else is reading and correcting my story. I know it's ridiculous considering the fact that I then post it and other's will be reading it anyway (totally nullifies the point really) but when I post it I can't change it, I can't delete it (well technically I can, but once it's on there it's too late to go back), and I can't criticize myself and then retract it. Basically ignoring a beta means I save myself from being a complete and utter mental case more then once. This way, I only do it once, when I post the story. But thank you for offering :D I hope you bear with me as you read the story and find errors, I'll try my hardest to proof-read, spell check and correct but my circuits are fried with anxiety sometimes...sorry. Anyway, thanks for reviewing.

**Centra-gal86: **I've updated twice now (count it, 3 chapters now :D). It's now your move and your turn. Happy people! Thanks for the review.

**Von: **Believe it or not, your first review was what made me bloody nervous for the second chapter. "hm. Too early to say anything yet. I await the next chapter." Can someone say swinging axe falling? :D I was much happier when I got your second review though, my sigh of relief probably echoed yours. Well, trying to find my way through your review :D I'm useless in interpretive dance sorry, I think I can answer a few of your questions. Yes his magic is powerful enough to manifest his own body, so therefore no dark mark for our Harry (whom I love with a Vengeance). Can't say the same for 'Parricida' though. As for height and body-shape. As I said somewhere in the beginning of this A/N, Light Harry's upbringing contributes to the changes between the two. Dark Harry will be a little bit taller, as there was nothing to stunt his growth, he had a healthy childhood with Lily and James Potter. He might be a little more thinner then light Harry but that's only because he's constantly in the presence of evil and Dementors. Even if they are different, Dementors would affect anyone. Light Harry though sick in his other life is no longer so, his magic gave him a healthier (not he-man/tarzan/Hercules) body in preparation for his return to large uses of raw magic, I'm picturing David Beckham build (minus abs...that's too unbelievable for me). You will find that Harry has taken a step back in his magical development, you'll see it later on in the story. I hope that helps somewhat. And thank you for reviewing.

**Huggiebear: **Original Idea? Nope...sorry to disappoint you :( I would love to have been the genius that came up with the 'Harry hop over to other dimension' plot, but unfortunately I'm quite slow on the uptake. I apologise for not being able to explain it better. I'll probably find another way to explain it later on (much later, maybe I'll use Voldemort, he needs other lines then 'kill Potter', 'Kill Dumbledore', 'Crucio', 'Avada Kedavra' and the oh so common 'Mwahahahahaha'). I can't wait for Harry vs Harry too....oh...wait a moment, I'm the one writing it _:nervous laughter, looks around anxiously:_ Thanks for the review though.

**Whisperkey: **I hope it wasn't an anti-climatic moment when the real Harry did come into the story. I hate disappointing people. And thank you for reviewing.

**Gallandro-83: **I think it'll be a while before Harry can enjoy his new life in peace. He'll enjoy it, yes, but probably as much as a convict's last meal, the sole reason why he's there is to help fight a war that he's already won once before. Sad I know, but without that there's no story :D. Harry has to suffer in same way in order for there to be a story. As for the Parsletongue thing, I was reading a slash story (btw, this will not be a slash story, I couldn't write romance (hetero one's even) to save my life) and Harry was using parsletongue in a more intimatesituation and I thought to myself, 'Harry can use Parsletongue to say his spells, much more useful'. So there you have it, a scientific discovery :D I'm a genius! A genius I tell you! No....not really. As for the Centero spell, :in singsong voice: "I'm not going to tell." Thank you for reviewing.

**Loverofthedarkness: **:D I always leave people confused (inadvertently of course) and then clear it up for them in a later chapter (also inadvertently). I'm good like that. Thank you for reviewing.

**Willow Ann Rover: **I made you cry? Surely I'm not that bad a writer! :D Thank you for the compliments (see my blush), I wouldn't go as far as saying brilliant or fantastic (see my modesty) but I'm trying really hard. Hence my appalling update rate and lack of proof-reading. Lol. Thank you for reviewing. :starts humming "don't cry for me argentina":

**Anon: **I can sympathise with you on the whole late to Uni thing. I'm late to Uni frequently too because of Fanfiction. Note to self: enquire with uni law office reading fanfics can count under compassionate consideration. :D Thank you very much, and I won't abandon this fic...frequently have long gaps in updating, yes, but not abandon. Did I say that last part out loud?? Your late to Uni, Go!

**Spezlee: **LMAO. You would be surprised how many fic's I've read that I've given up on because the spelling was atrocious, the grammar was poor and the punctuation was non-existant. I just didn't want anyone to do the same with mine. I refuse to be a hypocrite....but unfortunately the voices in my head don't agree with me on that. Thank you for reviewing, and you will see more of it.

**Lady Gallatea Ravenclaw: **Did you get your username from the Amulet of Time fics? Thank you for ignoring my mistakes (the voices are rejoicing, "the invisibility cloaks worked!" they're saying). My explanations of the magical reserves was absolute dog's poo. Made it up and stuck with it, even though I confused myself in no end. I'm stubborn like that, my mother was right, I really don't know what's good for me. But thank you for your compliments. One thing my mother didn't say was that reviewers know best.

Suck up Complete. Fourth Chapter writing commencing.

See you soon.

**Stahchild **(and her voices, _:said voice barges in:_ "IM HER BLOODY MUSE! IF SHE CAN'T GIVE ME THE RESPECT I DESERVE THEN I'LL LEAVE HER TO DROWN IN A PUDDLE OF HER OWN MAKING! REALLY! AUTHOR'S THESE DAYS, MAKING ME SOUND LIKE A MEMBER OF THE PEANUT GALLERY!")


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **See previous page.

* * *

**Previous Chapter:**

"Very good Albus, you should wake up by tomorrow evening," she said triumphantly.

Albus eyes, which had been drifting close, snapped open. His voice slurred with the effects of the potion he said, "bu' yoush'd a fu 'oursh."

Poppy looked startled for a minute before saying, "yes, yes I did say that it would only be a few hours didn't I? Whoopsie Daisy. Must have performed that spell incorrectly."

Then she smiled victoriously down at him and sauntered away.

_That wretched cow!_ Was his last thought before sinking into oblivion.

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Where Albus Dumbledore awoke the following evening, Harry was unconscious for five days. Five days in which the hall outside the Hospital wing (much to Poppy's displeasure) had become almost as busy as the entryway to Diagon Alley.

Dumbledore had told the extremely curious members of the Order that all would be explained once their visitor had awaken, yet a few of the more impatient members (Weasley twins, James and Sirius) had taken to eavesdropping in the hospital wing and when after being found out, faking injuries.

During this time Severus had been summoned to a meeting, and when he returned he reported that Voldemort had not been happy with how things had turned out. The few that had port-keyed out when the going got tough had gotten tortured first and then questioned second. When Dumbledore asked why he hadn't been asked to participate in the attack on the Burrow, Snape had said that Voldemort used it as training for a few of his newer recruits. He had not expected to lose so heavily nor had he expected the burrow to be so well protected. Avery and Tronson had paid heavily for the losses of so many promising death eaters as well as the lack of foresight and planning.

Apparently the Dark Lord was also curious as to who the hooded fighter was and had sent a few of his people out to look for answers. Voldemort had somehow found out that the person was very close to Dumbledore. This was the very reason why the leader of the Phoenix had not told the Order about Harry, he was sure that there was no spy in the Order but it was a feeling that he could and would not wager his life or the life of others on. As far as he was concerned, the less Voldemort knew about Harry, the safer Harry was until he was prepared to join in.

Harry's friends made sure that they were by Harry's side as much as they could. Hermione had put aside her research in the link since they had hit a block where the unfamiliar books were concerned and Ron spent less time out with the Aurors. They sat around Harry's bed sometimes in silence and other times in reflection about their past together. They had remained tight-lipped about who he was, it was easy to do as although they talked about Harry a lot, they had never really described him, especially not the scar which was probably the most defining feature.

Tuesday afternoon, Harry finally awoke. Madame Promfrey clucked over him and made him drink even more potions, and with a final wave of her wand she checked over him once more and then finally left to go and floo Albus. Harry decided that he wanted out of the Hospital wing as soon as possible and so made a quick escape while the unsuspecting nurse was in her office.

With all the sleep that he had gotten and with only potions to drink it wasn't a surprise that Harry's first trip was to the kitchens. Barefoot and still in his hospital shirt and pants, he walked quickly (almost ran) down the staircases and through the corridors until he stood before the familiar painting of the fruit bowl. Reaching up, he tickled the pear (whilst hoping it was still the same) he was rewarded when a handle appeared, and eventually the entryway into the kitchens. Stepping in he was greeted by the house-elves who were very eager to get 'master' something to eat. He was led by a house elf named Twippy to a table in the corner of the large kitchen and in a flurry of activity, food was deposited on the table before him. Harry made a mental 'note to self' to see if Dobby was still with the Malfoy's and make plans in a rescue, then he indulged in eating like a man possessed.

He was onto his third serving of Roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy when two identically looking boys came in. Harry paused in what he was doing and looked them up and down, aware that they were doing the same with him. The two youths looked about 16, they had dark red hair and hazel coloured eyes, Harry knew that if he stood up the boys would come to just above his shoulders. One of the boys carried a small vial of liquid that he quickly hid behind his back while the other had a Jar and a cloak. On closer inspection Harry noticed that the cloak was an invisibility cloak, much like the one he once had.

Completing his assessment, he came to the conclusion that whatever was in the vial and the jar was going into whatever it was the House-elves would serve tonight. Deciding that he really didn't want to know what it was he turned back to his food.

The slight dismissal jarred the twins out of their scrutiny of him and looking at each other they came to a decision that this was the man the rumours were talking about. The stranger who had caused Professor Dumbledore to be even weirder of late.

"Hullo. You just come from the hospital wing?" asked one of the boys politely.

Harry who was still eating just nodded slightly. The boys looked at each other again and then turned back to him.

"Have you been here long?" asked the same boy again.

Harry didn't answer, but picked up his goblet of pumpkin juice and drank it instead. The boys watched him in silence as he wiped his mouth and then sat back.

They ventured another question, mutually deciding that there previous question was probably stupid anyway.

"Who are you?" the second boy asked.

Harry raised an eyebrow and both boys winced at what was obviously a lack of tact and manners.

"sorry...that is- I mean- "

Harry interrupted, taking pity on the poor boy's absent grasp on conversational tactics.

"Maybe you can tell me who both of you are and then I'll tell you who I am?" he asked, to the obvious relief of the boys.

The twin on the right, who Harry noticed had a small faint scar on his cheek, put out his hand and introduced himself first.

"Me name's Mathew. Sixth year Gryffindor, eldest by five minutes" he said with a smile. Harry shook his hand and then turned to the other twin who just like his brother extended his hand also.

"Name's Daniel, sixth year Gryffindor too," he said. "Youngest, brightest and better looking," he finished with grin when his brother elbowed him.

Harry laughed and shook his hand before launching into his own introduction.

"The name's Harry gents," he stated and then paused before adding, "former student, Gryffindor house."

Motioning for both of them to sit down he asked Twippy for some cake and ice cream. Three bowls appeared before them and all three dug in happily, a few minutes of eating in silence, Daniel asked a question.

"When did you go to Hogwarts?"

Harry hesitated and thinking quickly he replied, "I was in the same year as Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

"Really?" this was asked by Mathew, who was now looking at Harry sceptically. "The Weasley twins have never mentioned you, and neither did my older br- I mean, year levels.."

Harry, mentally thanking his inner slytherin and the Weasley twins for honing his ability to lie, replied nonchalantly, "I was non-descript. Not very memorable in school, kept to the back and all that."

Mathew still doubtful shrugged and said, "The Weasley twins know and see everything though. They might know you. What's your last name?"

Without even hesitating Harry replied, "Snuffles. Harry Snuffles."

Daniel blinked and then lips twitching replied, "Your mother must have had really low self esteem to marry your father."

Amused, Harry said, "it's not so bad really. It's just weird; this is the wizarding world after all. I mean you have, 'Cooky-Munster' 'Funqy' 'Pointy-Pickles', my last name is probably boring compared to others."

"Yeah but with your last name, you'd be hard to miss wouldn't ya?" Daniel countered. "Did you know Harry Potter?"

Mathew froze and glared angrily at his brother, "what you bring him up for?"

His brother shrugged, "What?! He was in the same year as him. It probably doesn't help anyway since practically the entire wizarding world knows who he is," he said bitterly.

Harry arched his eyebrow and then said, "I didn't know him very well but I knew of him. Don't like him do you?"

Both boys stared at Harry in angry shock. All wide eyes and open mouths.

"He nearly killed our dad, and murdered our aunt and uncle. Of course we like him, comes over to dinner all the time," Mathew spat out sarcastically. Harry looked surprised at the venom in his voice as well as the information he gave.

"What you looking so surprised for? He's been all over the Daily Prophet for the past three years. Asshole betrayed Dumbledore nearly got him killed too!! How the hell could you not know?!" Daniel asked incredulously.

Having come to grip with his shock he decided to interrupt before they became too worked up. "Alright, alright, calm down. I'm sorry, I didn't know alright? I've been living in the Himalayan region ever since graduation. You know. Isolated area? Maximum population of about 45? No wizards? No electricity? Those damn bastards, how dare they cancel my Witches Weekly subscription!" he ended derisively.

Both boys, surprised at the scornful tone he had used started giggling. After a few seconds of trying to contain their sniggers, they gave up and laughed out loud.

A few moments later after the twins had calmed down; Harry thought it safe to talk. 

"Look, I'm sorry about your dad right? I didn't think Potter would have ever ended up that way (_the voice in his head snorted at that_). I hope that he's suffering in Azkaban for it."

Mathew shook his head and looked sad, "nah. He's not. Azkaban wouldn't hold him. Especially not since he went and became You-know-who's favourite."

Harry paled and swallowed, his throat all of a sudden dry. "He works for Voldemort now?"

Both boys hissed and flinched, "Do you bloody mind?! Don't say his name!!"

Harry bit his tongue to stop the words that wanted to come out of his mouth, he sighed heavily instead and rubbed his scar with the heel of his palm.

"Yeah he works for you-know-who," Mathew said furiously, "almost killed my mother that did. When she found out she wouldn't stop crying for days. It didn't help that dad was in St Mungos with Uncle Ri.

Dad was Royally pissed when he woke up. Harry Potter was never mentioned in our house again. We all call him Parricida now."

Biting his lip, Harry's forehead creased in contemplation. He just couldn't put a handle on their reactions. Why it was almost so personal. Granted that their father was almost killed, but why such an extreme reaction by their mother. He wanted to ask but he didn't want to insult the twins.

Changing the subject for the time being, Harry asked them about their reason for being in the kitchen in the first place.

Mathew and Daniel both sported twin looks of evil, but only for a flash before both faces morphed into the 'innocent' face.

"Oh, we're just going to add a special ingredient to tonight's feast you know? Special mix of herbs and spices, try something new and all that."

Harry grinned and then smirked showing that he didn't believe they had good intentions in any way, opening his mouth to say so he was interrupted by a screech of "Harry!" before being hauled into a very tight embrace.

Harry barely had time to breath after finally being let go before he was thumped on the shoulder. Hard. Looking up into the eyes of a very angry and worried Hermione Granger, he realised that this was not going to be good.

"YOU IDIOT!!! We've been looking all over the school for you.....we thought you had gone!!! Poppy's so angry, she hadn't even given you permission to leave. OF ALL THE IRRESPONSIBLE THINGS TO DO! I should- " the rest of her tirade was muffled when a hand covered her mouth.

"Alright Hermione love, breathe! Harry knows he's been an absolute fool now. And I'm sure that he's very sorry that he made us worried. I'm also sure that he will never do it again. Right Harry?" Ron looked at him, in a look that was telling him that there was only one answer that he can give.

Harry smiled and took Hermione's hand and said, "Right. I won't do it again, and I'm really sorry. I was just hungry."

Letting go of her slowly, Ron inched away. Hermione glared over at him to tell him that they would talk later about restricting people from speaking, then she looked back to Harry and threw herself back into his arms.

Harry held her for a while just glad to be in both their presence. They stayed that way, with Ron looking on with a smile, until someone cleared their throat. Harry turned to where the noise had come from, forgetting that the twins were still there.

He smiled at them apologetically. He was about to say 'sorry' when Hermione beat him to it.

"Oh my goodness. Sorry about that Matty, Dan. I didn't know you were h- OH BLOODY GOD! MATTY! DAN!" her eyes widened as she realised who she was speaking too. Ron too had just realised who was in the room and grabbing Harry he started to haul him out of the kitchens.

"Alright Harry, time to go. Albus wants to speak to us and Poppy wants to check you over again," he said hastily, whilst still urgently pulling Harry towards the door. Hermione on the other side of him was nodding her head and pushing him gently.

"Yes we have to go....Albus doesn't like to wait you know...Goodbye Dan, Matty."

Harry started dragging his feet, aware that for some reason or another they wanted him out of the room. When he realised that his struggles were getting him nowhere he spoke out, "would the both of you stop it?! Why on earth are you in such a rush to get me out of here? I know Albus too you know, he can wait until the cows come home and he'll still be happy as long as he has his lemon drops!"

Still struggling he finally freed himself and breathing heavily he glared at the both of them.

"What is going on?" he asked.

Looking at the twins Hermione decided that if Harry wouldn't leave then the twins would. "Matty, Dan, out you get. You should be in your dorm room getting ready for dinner!" she said in her best 'McGonagall' voice.

The twins looked at her funny, they both knew something was up and that they didn't want Harry in the same room as them, this was a mystery, and they both loved mysteries.

"Your not our teacher Mione. We don't need to listen to you," Matty said.

"Yeah, you can't take points either," Dan added with a grin, "so what you gonna do about it?"

Hermione looked over at Ron with a look that was imploring him to do something, Ron just shrugged apologetically since he wasn't a teacher there either. Hermione looking panicked for a minute stopped and then smiled triumphantly.

"I'll tell your mother that you were trying to put stuff in the food. Your mum was telling me that she had forbidden either of you from pranking again. What would your mother say if I told her neither of you were listening?"

Daniel looked at his brother and then figuring that whatever it was that Ron and Hermione were trying to hide was probably worth getting into trouble for, shrugged and said indifferently, "So. Not like she can do much either, she doesn't stay at Hogwarts all she can do is growl us off and then go home. That's nothing."

Both boys froze as a very calm (yet threatening) voice said, "Is that so?"

Everyone in the room turned towards the entrance to the kitchens. There standing arms folded and a look of retaliation on her face, was Lily Potter.

Harry had paled when he saw his mother. It was weird for him to find people that were supposed to be dead alive in this world, and he didn't think he'd ever get used to it. What she said next kept him in shock and speechless for the next few hours.

"Mathew Sirius Potter. Daniel Remus Potter. Get. Up. To. Your. Dorm. Now. We will take later!"

Both boys rushed out the door, each receiving a clip on the ear as they went past.

Hermione and Ron looked at Harry, both were worried about how he was going to take that bit of news. Seeing that he was in shock they guided him into the chair he had occupied while eating.

"Harry mate? You alright to walk up to the infirmary now?" Ron asked softly so that only he and Hermione could hear.

Harry just nodded, eyes glazed.

Lily still standing at the entrance looked concerned. "Will he be alright? He doesn't look too steady on his feet. I hope it wasn't the boys."

Hermione gave her a reassuring smile and said, "No. He'll be alright, and it wasn't the boys. He's just tired from his trip and all. He probably overexerted himself before he was ready."

Lily nodded and followed after them as they left the kitchens, both at Harry's shoulders just in case he might need help. "You'll be fine mate. Just need some time is all."

Harry just nodded.

* * *

Two hours later, Harry was mentally as good as new. Poppy who had been the only person in whom Dumbledore had told Harry's circumstances to had given him a potion to help with his shock. The taste itself seemed to knock Harry out of his stupor. And if that didn't help, Poppy's lecture on 'irresponsible, sneaky boys' certainly did.

Harry had so many questions for Dumbledore, all of which began and ended with 'what's changed?' The look in the headmaster's eyes told Harry that he'd find out soon enough, just stay focused on getting his wits about him.

When Poppy had finally decided that he could go, she did so with an extracted promise from the Headmaster that Harry would be back by 10pm, in the hospital wing, where she could keep an eye on him. Harry's eyes pleaded with the headmaster not to give in but Dumbledore ignored it, still wanting to get even for Harry's little trick five day's ago.

Excusing themselves from Lily they made their way up to Dumbledore's office. Standing in front of the (ugly) gargoyle Harry asked them a question before Albus could say the password, "you still use sweets for your password Dumbledore?"

"Lifesavers," he said to the Gargoyle, "that answer your question Harry?"

He just smiled and rolled his eyes. Hermione launched into examples of all the passwords Dumbledore had been using lately while they waited for the staircase to reach the top.

"Seriously Albus," Ron stated, "I think you might need help, there is such a thing as addiction."

Reaching the landing in front of his office, Dumbledore opened his door and walked in, followed by Hermione and Ron while Harry brought up the rear. A blur of red and gold greeted him just as he cleared the door. Landing on his shoulder the headmaster's phoenix started butting his head against his face in a form of greeting.

"Fawkes?!" he exclaimed in pleasant surprise, reaching up he stroked the Phoenix's feather covered head. The phoenix trilled and cooed.

"Fawkes remembers you too Harry," Dumbledore said with the maddening twinkle in his eyes. "In fact when I woke up from my exhaustion induced coma, Fawkes returned back from his self imposed exile complete with tales and memories of you before his 'death'. Phoenix's are very interesting creatures."

Fawkes trilled once almost to say that he agreed wholeheartedly before launching off of Harry's shoulder to alight on the back of Dumbledore's chair.

Sitting himself down in a seat in between Ron and Hermione's, Harry took a look around the office. He saw that not much had changed. The case in which the Sword of Gryffindor sat was still there, and so were the many shiny objects that he remembered breaking in fifth year. The painting's on the wall had not changed at all either, although they were looking down at him with a look of intense interest.

"Not changed much has it Harry?" Hermione said noticing his examination of the room. Harry just shook his head and smiled.

They lapsed into comfortable silence for a while just remembering, punctuated by the rustling of inhabitants of the portraits moving and the crunching of Dumbledore's lemon drops as he chewed on them. Distantly Harry heard students moving around, probably on their way to the great hall. Dumbledore cleared his throat and gestured to the plate of lemon drops on his table, they all shook their heads in the negative. Steepling his hands on his desk he looked over his half-moon glasses at Harry.

"Right. I am guessing Harry that you have a lot of questions for us concerning this world, but if it is alright with you I would like you to tell us what has changed in the world you left behind?"

Harry nodded and with light squeeze on his arm from Hermione as encouragement he started talking of the world he knew.

"You probably know what happened after your death up until Hermione and Ron's, so if it's alright with you, I think I'll skip that."

They nodded to say that it was alright.

"After Hermione and Ron....umm, died. I..uh...cast the spell on Voldemort. He was really weak then I guess. But for a second I didn't think the spell would work. But it did. And he just....died....well not really just died....but he sort of glowed for a while and then he fell to the ground and then died ....... No theatrical screaming or anything. Eyes wide open in shock...I guess....or fear. .......

The spell though, it was harder to do then I thought. It was a real strain to cast it. I could feel the tension and I was struggling for control ...... I h-honestly thought I'd lose it for a moment. I don't think I'd be able to say the Centero again. The power to use it was more then we first thought you know....... I had to drag everything I could out....... And it wasn't a good flow either.....I just let go of the reigns or whatever, and all the power just flew out of me. It wasn't pretty. Not even graceful. Bloody painful I tell you......You hadn't mentioned bleeding either. But there was blood. ..... It was pouring from my wrist and my arm, and I could feel it running down my neck. And my scar and head hurt like bitch. (dry laughter) I was kind of expecting it you know. Tried to block it with Occlumency but if I focused on that then I would have lost control of the spell. So I let the bastard channel some of his pain into me...... And I think I closed my eyes for a bit. Because the blood was pouring into my eyes. But after that, all the blood disappeared. They found a puddle of blood later when the Aurors came to check on the graveyard. ...... It was funny though, they asked me if I bled him to death. ...... they said that he had no blood in him..... He was a monster anyway, wouldn't have thought he'd have blood running through his veins.

At any rate, after the fight I took your bodies with me to headquarters, found Fawkes along the way....... He'd appeared and took the killing curse for me. He was sitting in his pile of ashes so I picked him up and we port-keyed out, back to Hogwarts. ...... They were all there, the remaining members of the Order...... they were happy, the parties after it had been confirmed that it really was Voldemort lasted for weeks..... But the Order we had the funerals first you know? The sixth one in just under two months. (sigh) Some of us were wondering for a bit whether it had been all worth it in the end. ...... But then September 1st came back around and the children came back to Hogwarts, it all just made sense. We lost our innocence and our childhood so that others could keep theirs.

McGonagall was the new headmistress. ...... But God Rest her soul, she died trying to defend the children in Hogsmeade a year later."

They looked at Harry in shock, it was Hermione who interrupted and asked the question that was running through their minds. "Death Eater attack? Even without Voldemort?"

Harry shook his head sadly, "No ...... The Death Eater's had all died with Voldemort. Anyone and everyone who was marked ...... including snape. Not going to lie and say I miss him, but he was our spy, if anyone deserved peace it was him......No, it was a bunch of people calling themselves 'Sang Pur', French for 'Pure Blood'. Thought it would be fun to attack a bunch of defenceless children enjoying Hogsmeade weekend. ...... Minerva died fighting, just before the Aurors got there a customary half hour late. ...... They thought themselves so brave. So cunning....didn't look so cunning or brave when they tried to beg themselves out of a death sentence. ...... that's another thing that changed. Dementors never came back to Azkaban. So they thought it fitting to use Muggle ways of execution. Poison by potion. Electric Chair. ...... Members of 'Sang Pur' was executed by the Chair. They asked me to attend. I chose not to. It doesn't matter what you call it really, whether it's justice or murder. Death was never enjoyable. ...... Families of the victims turned up. No-one of the Order, or any of the Hogwarts Staff.....Minerva's funeral was the day after the executions.

There was a mass panic for a while, all four head of houses were dead now. No-one the parents could really trust. They started pulling out their children....still didn't think it was safe. ...... I thought it would be more dangerous for the children to be untrained while the world was still unstable....so I volunteered to lead Hogwarts for a while. Until someone else could be found. ...... The following school year had the largest attendance record since the beginning of the war. ...... Surely, they said, if the boy-who-defeated was leading the school it would be alright. ...... I taught Defence for my first two years. And then I asked the ministry to make it a criteria for new recruits to teach a year of school children defence....it solved the problem nicely. Three years training for Aurors. If a group of 4 or 5 new recruits out of the total number of 100 in a year, taught a class in a wizarding school, it took care of the 'lack of on hand experience' usually missing in teachers. ...... My hope was that the Aurors would also see what it was that they were fighting for. I didn't agree with glorifying the position. Too many ego's in any situation is dangerous you know?"

Harry stopped for a while so that he could take a break. Sipping the tea that Dumbledore had provided they all thought about Harry's news about their world.

Dumbledore was assimilating the fact that Harry had become Headmaster. He was very happy with that bit of information; he had always known that Harry was destined for a leadership role, but never believed that it would be within the Ministry. Harry loved to help and he was far too determined and sometimes impulsive for a ministerial role. But as headmaster of Hogwarts? Where instinct could guide him, and his almost intimate relationship with Hogwarts itself....he would have been a perfect shoe-in for Headmaster. The fact that he did so for almost 12 years with guidance only from the portraits was very impressive. He decided to keep that in mind for when this current war was over, he was long over-due for retirement.

"Lee Jordon became Minister of Magic when Damien Lightweight stepped down only two years after being voted in. All his children were arrested in Leicestor during a raid on a meeting of 'Sang Pur'; they had been using ministry money to help finance the movement.

I started being sick then too. I had been sick ever since that Bastard's death. My magic was becoming more and more unstable as the years progressed. ...... Poppy told me that my body didn't know how to handle all the raw magic that I had released. I had no link to anchor it and no filters. ...... We kept my sickness quiet. No-one attacked Hogwarts because they feared me, but if they found out that there was only a limited amount of magic I could use.....it would have been a blood bath. ...... My emotions had to be controlled at all times. A little bit of anger had the ability to blow out windows and destroy a room. Excitement caused pretty much the same effect....it was hard and it only got worse.

Moving on. Neville and Ginny got married. They had a daughter Alice Molly Longbottom, born August 31st, a year after they got married. Two years later they had Arthur Frank Longbottom. He had just turned two five days before I....died. I loved them you know. ...... Both children had the Weasley red hair. Ginny told me that she was pregnant again on Alice's birthday. I think she would have been about 5 months along. ...... Neville told me that he reckons that Ginny's trying to rebuild the Weasley family, he doesn't mind though, I would think that Neville would be trying to rebuild his own –"

Ron laughed, he was ecstatic that Ginny had had children but he was sad that he wasn't there to see it. The Ginny is this world was not very different from his Ginny, but he knew that he didn't really know her that well. They had had to rebuild their relationship from scratch, much like he had had to do with the rest of his siblings.

"The students and the staff didn't know I was sick. Neville had started teaching there six years prior and then elevated to Deputy Headmaster four years later when Vector retired. So when I got so sick that I could no longer be up and about he took over. I retired three months before the school year ended, and Neville took over the headmaster duties for the remaining of the school term. I.....umm...died 2 months later.

And then I got sent back here. I....uh... 'woke up' in the field where the Quidditch World Cup was held in our fourth year. I felt an overwhelming urge to visit the Burrow so that was my first stop. Good thing too I guess. ...... I've always been a natural homing pigeon where trouble was concerned.

I guess that's all then. If you have any other questions, you know the routine."

There was silence in the headmaster's office as Harry finished his report. It was quite overwhelming, and they knew that although none of his information would apply to this world, Harry had lived in the Wizarding world post-war. Mistakes made there, would be lessons learned here. It had been almost two hours since Harry had started talking, the Headmaster decided that they would take a break and have dinner.

Calling a house elf he spoke to her and asked her to get them something to eat. The house elf disappeared for a few minutes before reappearing again with a pop. With a click of her fingers food appeared before them.

Dumbledore smiled and gestured to the plates of food.

"If you don't mind, I took the liberty of bringing our food up here. All of you would probably want to eat away from the curious eyes of the students. We will see them soon enough anyway."

Nodding in agreement, both Ron and Harry started attacking their food. Hermione and the Headmaster were far more civilised, and started eating at a slower pace.

After they had eaten the main course and then desert (multiple offerings), they sat back and started reminiscing about their days gone by. Harry fielded questions about the people and events of the other world and at the same time they answered Harry's questions about this world. They all knew that Harry did not like 'report like' explanations for anything he liked to know. He preferred to ask questions and then get straightforward answers.

Once Harry had come to grips with the fact that in this world he was a 'slimy slitherin who grew up to be an evil asshole' (helpfully provided by Ron), he started asking questions about allegiances and spies. He found out that Snape was still a spy ('and a slimy git to boot' said Ron), surprisingly so was Narcissa Malfoy ('how such a nice woman gave birth to a monster I will never know', Ron again), and ultimate surprise doubled, Vincent Crabbe ('he's intelligent, who would have known') and Crabbe Goyle ('you will not believe the amount of things he's found out while standing around a buffet table'). There were more spies this time around, and as Harry pointed out, also more of a chance for a betrayal. Dumbledore just nodded and then smiled and said, "they have to be trusted, I will leave the paranoia and doubt to Moody and if you want to join him then the more the merrier."

Finally Harry thought it was time to ask the question that had been bugging him since the encounter in the Kitchens.

"So they were my brothers huh?"

Dumbledore seemed to have understood the unasked question behind the question and so chose to answer.

"A prophecy was said, much like in our world, word for word. Except this time, I did not choose to go to meet Sybill Trelawny and so the prophecy was said to the room at large. Voldemort found out, and instead of attacking either you or Neville he waited. It is the reason why the Wizarding world has not fallen yet. He chose to pull back on his terrorising while he waited to find out who it was that the prophecy would point to. Which is probably a mistake he made, in doing so it was enough time for the Order of the Phoenix to mobilize and strengthen our forces. We have members in high places within the Ministry but so does Voldemort. Lucius Malfoy for one is the face of the Pureblood regime and as opposition leader and a very wealthy man, all it would take is one major mistake by the current Minister to put him in the Minister's seat.

As I was saying, the Order gained more people into the organisation and that in itself is what allowed the Order to thrive even though I was otherwise incapacitated. I still put the Potter's and the Longbottom's under the Fidelius charm, with me as secret keeper. I had lectured the Potter's about how this was not the time to play the 'loyalty to friends' card when they wished to use Sirius. I just wish that I had given them the same lecture for our timeline.

By the looks of it, you have been put back in your body that is in respect to your current age, as you would have been if you had been born into this world. This Harry, otherwise known as 'Parricida' is 22. Your two younger brothers, are 16.

Parricida was sorted into Slytherin and so started his journey into the ranks of Voldemort. He was befriended by Draco Malfoy. Power and Riches are very enticing separately; strong willed men have fallen for less. Yet together, as the Malfoy family embodies, it is addictive. My influence to help him had lessened over the years, he turned more and more towards Lucius for advice, he saw less and less of his own family and eventually by sixth year he chose to spend Christmas with the Malfoy's instead. By seventh year he never went back home. In fact when he left home to come back to Hogwarts for his last school year, that would be the last time he ever saw your parents again until his betrayal.

The Governors had also changed school laws that year. For the first time the Governors decided the Head-boy instead. I asked for Dean Thomas to be head-boy, but I was over-ruled by Lucius in support of Parricida, I argued heavily for Dean Thomas, but the Governors agreed with Lucius. He (Parricida) severed all ties with me that year, in supporting Dean Thomas I had proven Lucius' theory that I supported Muggle Borns and Gryffindors at the sacrifice of pure bloods and traditions.

Your brother's were first years then. When they got sorted into Gryffindor Parricida cut off all ties with his family and spurned them. They did not understand, and neither did your parents. Your parents never thought that their son would ever join Voldemort's legions. They held tight to that, and it made it much easier for him to betray them.

He had just left Hogwarts when he sent an owl to your parents saying that he needed help. The owl was injured and it looked like someone had tried to stop it, not only that but the parchment itself was blood stained and the handwriting looked rushed and panicked. It all looked real, and Lily and James were very worried and begged the Order to help him out. I had my reservations but I was over-ruled by the members.

Our spies knew nothing though, but that did not stop the Order from wanting to go and rescue him. We finally received a tip-off about where he was held. Unfortunately the Wards surrounding his prison were such that only a very powerful wizard could have dismantled them. This is the reason why I went. I stood in the outer edges of the ward and disabled them; for once I underestimated the hatred that Voldemort had for me. I did not realise that he would gladly wear himself out for few days just so that they could trap me. For that is what it was, a trap. Once the wards had fallen, we were attacked. In my drained state I could barely fight back a powerful Death eater. But when Voldemort himself joined in.

All I know is that James blaming himself for the ambush created a port-key and got me out of there. He was captured along with Sirius who refused to leave him, and taken to Tom's lair. It was there that he found out his son was healthy and well, and that he had been betrayed and played. He watched his son get his mark and swear his allegiance to Voldemort, he also found out that the trap itself was Parricida and Draco Malfoy's initiation challenge. They had passed with flying colours.

Parricida proved himself a worthy death-eater by casting the Cruciatus curse on James and then Sirius. He did not participate in the torture, but he did ask that they be released so that his 'mud-blood' mother would see how unworthy she was of a son like him.

So there you have it Harry, the abbreviated history of the Potter family. It will be interesting to see what their reaction will be when they find out who you are. They have heard a great many things from Hermione and Ron about you. You could very well be the exact thing that James, Lily, Sirius and Remus need right now. Daniel and Mathew also need a helping hand. They think no one else knows it, but they have immersed themselves in their pranks so as to prove they are nothing like their brother. This war will affect many more families before it is over.

But be it as may, all other tales can wait for a new light. It is now nine o'clock, you have an hour to spend together. I have some calls and such to do. The Order of the Phoenix meeting will be held tomorrow evening at nine. Goodnight my children."

Leaving Dumbledore's office, Harry could only reflect on what he had been told. It was a very sad history, the sort of life that he would have loved yet it was abused and found wanting by those living it. He was also very nervous. Tomorrow he would find see the Order, and finally meet his parents. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

It was eight thirty. He was going to see the rest of the Order in half an hour. How would they react? How would they react? How would **they **react?!

Harry James Potter, Order of Merlin First class, defeater of Voldemort, and former Headmaster of Hogwarts was pacing from one side of the room to the other. Fawkes watched his pacing avidly, his golden eyes following him from one side to the other. He had already been snapped at by a very agitated Harry to 'stop staring at me like I'm some sort of freak show', but Fawkes hardly ever listened. On the other side of the room Hermione and Ron were watching him too. In respect to their friend's feelings they had not shown any reaction when he'd snapped at Fawkes but deep inside where it couldn't be seen, they were laughing very loud.

"Why does Albus want us to wait again?" he asked tensely.

"Because he wants to see entertainment and the only way he'll see it is if you make a grand entrance," Ron said helpfully.

Hermione rolled her eyes, and elbowed Ron in the stomach. "No he doesn't Ron. He just wants to get the formalities of the Order out of the way so that you won't need to sit through it all. Don't worry so much Harry," as he paced again to the other side of the room, "it'll be fine. They'll be shocked at first but they'll get over it......eventually."

Harry stopped midstep, twirled around and glared at his best-friend, before snapping back around and continuing on with his pacing.

He was wearing a robe that Hermione had went out and brought from him. It was dark green with a silver hem. Inside Harry wore, black pants and a black shirt. Both Hermione and Ron thought that Harry looked formidable, dangerous and powerful. Harry thought he looked like a death eater who had a craving to wear his house colours.

Finally with a flash of green flames from the fireplace the signal was cast to bring him over now. Ron handed Harry a piece of parchment and then told him to read it.

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is at Tintagel Castle._

After Harry had read it he nodded to indicate that he understood and then wordlessly (and wandlessly) burnt it.

Fawkes flew up to hover just so that his tail feathers were within reach of the trio. Reaching up they grabbed his red and gold tail and in a burst of flames they disappeared.

They reappeared before a rundown castle. Mentally extending his magic Harry realised that the ruins were under some sort of charm. But try as he might to break through it he found that he couldn't. Shaking his head Harry bit his lip in worry, he had never had problems breaking through spells before, it was like his magic was no longer powerful enough to do it. That didn't make sense though, since he could do Wandless magic easily enough. Harry banished his problems into the recess of his head, he'd find out later. Concentrating instead he thought _The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is at TIntagel Castle._

Before him the ruins seemed to run like a movie on rewind. Stones and beams seemed to jump back into formation, glass formed windows, and turrets magically reappeared. Before long Harry was standing in front of an intimidating 15 foot door. He jumped when Ron rang the doorbell. Humming along to the tune of 'Row Row Row your boat' that the doorbell was- _Wait a minute?! Row your boat, on a Doorbell?? _Looking incredulously at Hermione who had been waiting for him to realise how out of place that was on a 12th century Castle, she grinned at him and then said, "Dumbledore," as if that explained it all.

It did.

Finally, after 'Row your boat' had repeated a fourth time the grand doors finally opened. Hermione Walked in with Ron bringing up the rear, they were met by a house elf who bowed low (much to Hermione's disgust) and then she turned around and led them up a grand stone staircase to the second level where after many hallway's and staircases, they finally reached a huge painting of a bearded old man with twinkly grey eyes who looked uncannily like Dumbledore.

Harry watched as the house elf stopped in front of the painting, turned around bowed low again and then disappeared with a crack.

"Hey Hermione," Harry whispered, "is Dobby still around?"

It was Ron who answered, "Yeah, when Narcissa can't make it she usually sends Dobby with whatever information she has."

"Oh," Harry said, thoughtfully. "Do you think he'd still want to be freed?"

Hermione looked at Harry quizzically, "I'm not sure Harry, why are you asking?"

Harry just shrugged and answered, "nah, doesn't matter. So where are we?"

Thinking that Harry was probably just wondering about Dobby she turned around and drawing out her wand she started writing something on the portrait. When she'd finished her twirls and taps, the Portrait slid across to reveal an entrance way and what looked to be an endless dark corridor. A whispered 'lumos' spell later they were on there way in. The portrait slid shut with a click behind them.

After what seemed to be a ten minute walk, they reached the back of another portrait. Just like the previous one, Hermione started tracing her still lit wand on the back of the portrait, and just like the other one, this portrait slid across too.

They all stepped out of the Corridor into a hallway. Turning left, Hermione walked a few metres until she reached yet another portrait, except this time, this one was moving.

"Password," the little girl in the portrait giggled.

"Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est"

The portrait swung open and they walked in.

"Aio, quantitas magna frumentorum est? Latin for 'Yes, that is a very large amount of corn'? Who on earth made up that pass- " He cut himself off when he saw the look in Ron's face. _Dumbledore. I should have known. _Squeezing his eyes shut, he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"I haven't even attended this meeting and I can already feel a migraine coming on," he said. "And why such a long walk to your meeting room?"

Ron grinned his 'your-not-going-to-believe-this' grin and then said, "Long walk? Mate, that was a short cut."

Harry ran his hand through his hair, and then looked at Hermione with an exasperated look, "let me guess, it was Albus again?" he practically whined.

The brown haired female just looked skyward and then said, "honestly Harry, such theatrics. It wasn't even that far."

She then turned around and marched away before Harry could rebuke her statement.

Grumbling behind Ron, Harry followed. They finally reached a Gargoyle, much like the one in front of Dumbledore's office and Hermione said yet another (long) password.

"Animadvertistine, ubicumque stes, fumum recta in faciem ferri."

_Ever noticed how wherever you stand, the smoke goes right into your face._

Harry did not comment on this password, he was too busy wondering how in the world he was meant to remember it all. Just because he was headmaster of Hogwarts, defeater of Voldemort and a recipient of an Order of Merlin did not mean that he had a good memory. In fact, none of those required for him to remember much. That's what the deputy is for.

Meanwhile, the Gargoyle had slid across to reveal a staircase, much like the one that opened into Dumbledore's office. Stepping onto the landing she motioned for Harry to step on too, as the staircase started moving the Gargoyle slid shut. Reaching the top they stopped off onto a landing and then walked through a little archway into a room. Right in front of them was a double door with golden handles. One side of the room, where the window was, was a bunch of comfortable looking chairs. On the other side was a large painting of King Arthur probably at his coronation.

Hermione knocked on the door and then waited. As she waited she watched as Harry took a big breath and got himself into his 'I am in control' façade. It was the very same look that Dumbledore always wore. The door was finally opened by Ginny Weasley, Harry refrained himself from grabbing her into a hug, and instead gave her a small smile as he went past.

Walking into the room he had to stop the violent urge in his mind to walk, no _run, _right back out.

Seated around a really large round table were various members of the Order, some of them Harry recognised as one that was in theirs, and other's that were new or he knew were dead or death eaters. Taking an unnoticeable breath, he met every single person's gaze with one of his own.

Dumbledore delighted that they were finally here (if the very large smile was any indication) gestured Harry over to a chair right next to him. Hermione and Ron sat on Harry's other side and then they focussed their attention back on Dumbledore.

"Welcome. Now that our esteemed guest has arrived we might very well start shall we? I thought to myself that we could leave introductions till later, but now that he is with us, I cannot see why we cannot just get it out of the way now.

Many of you are wondering who this gentleman is. Most of you remember him from the attack on the Burrow. Those of you who were not at last weeks meeting, therefore were not privy to what transpired later on, this young man here saved a lot of lives. We were pretty much outnumbered and it could have all ended much worse then it did. I believe Sturgis is still recuperating at home now? (nods from around the room). We did not lose any of our members, thankfully the timely intervention of this lovely man, stopped that from happening.

I do know him, yes. But he will introduce _himself_ eventually. How good do I know him? Very well. I watched him throughout all his years at school, and he is very much like a surrogate grandson to me, much like how Hermione and Ron have been.

All will be explained later. But first of all, I will introduce each and every one of the members of the Order."

For the next few minutes, Dumbledore went around the room introducing each person, there was about thirty five members currently present, other's were at the Ministry or could not make it. Finally Dumbledore got to the Weasley's.

"This is Arthur Weasley, he is head of International Cooperation. That is his wife Molly. His son Bill is on his left, works with Gringotts. Next to him is Fred and George Weasley, they are unspeakables. The beautiful red head is Ginny Weasley. Their son Charlie is the secondary head of the Department for care and control of magical creatures. Their other son Percy is the Goblin Liason officer for the Ministry. Both of them are not here with us tonight. Oh, and of course you know Ronald Weasley, he works in an unofficial capacity with the Auror department but he belongs in the Department of Magical Game and Sports."

Harry had smiled and nodded to each person as they were introduced, when he got to Ron though, he sniffed disdainfully and then winked. He got a punch for his efforts.

As quiet laughter filled the room, Dumbledore moved on to the next lot of people, a pretty lady with an oval face topped with black hair and grey eyes. She had a straight aristocratic nose and perfectly arched eyebrows. The man had a receding hairline, Dark brown hair, and warm brown eyes. He reminded Harry of Remus.

"Lewis and Catherine Jackson. Both unspeakables. They have two sets of triplets. Beautiful girls named Allison, Bethany, and Cairo. They are in their third year at Hogwarts, Ravenclaw house. While their younger set, also girls are only six years old. Delilah, Elisabeth, and Felicia. Absolutely delightful."

Catherine had blushed with Dumbledore's compliments, while Lewis only laughed and said, "Maybe you can babysit one day then."

The next group of people to be introduced made Harry's heart clench and his finger's dig into the arms of his chair. If he hadn't been so prepared, the entire room would probably have seen him weep out loud.

"That charming good looking gentleman there is Sirius Black, Auror. He has a daughter, Christina, fifth year Ravenclaw. Just as charming as her father, if only a bit more.....restrained. The equally good looking fellow next to him is Remus Lupin, just as charming and with intelligence to match, (laughter and a snort from Sirius), Remus is Professor at Hogwarts, teaches Astronomy and the school's Duelling club. Next to Remus are James and his beautiful wife, Lily Potter. James is an Auror, Lily is an unspeakable, she is also -part of the Order's Research team. What they're researching currently Harry you could very well help with. James is partner with Sirius on Auror work, which more often then not means the Crime scene is usually a mess. They have twin boys, sixth year Gryffindors, I believe you may have met them yesterday afternoon in the kitchens. Mathew and Daniel. Have you been able to catch them yet Lily?"

Lily shook her, "the little monsters are still avoiding me."

Dumbledore, eye's twinkling grinned at her and then turned to Hermione, "and you know Hermione of course. Brilliant former student of Hogwarts. Unspeakable, is part of the order's research team. But I'm very sure like Ron, Hermione has already explained her life to you."

Harry sat internally frozen inside. He was dreading what was going to come next. He knew that Dumbledore was going to find some way of drawing out his tension, sure enough Dumbledore did not disappoint him.

"I believe it's now your turn. Oh.....Goodness. I have not yet introduced myself. I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Chairman of the International Confederation of Wizards. I am also the Leader of the Order of the Phoenix, though I cannot understand why. I have a younger brother, Alberforth Dumbledore, he probably has other names but I cannot seem to remember them, struggle as it is remembering my own. Oh yes, almost forgot. Former student of Hogwarts Witchcraft and Wizardry, the sorting hat put me in Gryffindor. For some strange reason it thought I could do very well in any of the other houses too. I taught Transfiguration for a while too, before being made Headmaster. I am positively sure that I have taught at least eighty percent of this Order. Isn't that just wonderful? I think that is all (he paused for effect, and then popped a lemon drop into his mouth). Right then, and who might you be?"

Harry swallowed. Cleared his throat. And then opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm Harry"

Silence.

Dumbledore gave his infuriating twinkly eyed smile at him, complete with 'I-know-what-you're-doing' raised eyebrow.

"Does Harry have any other names?" this was asked by Ron, _former best friend_.

"James"

"Does Harry James have a last name?" Hermione, _they're all doing this to hurt me!_

He sighed and gave up; he might as well face it like a man.

"My name is Harry James Potter, I'm meant to be dead."

Maybe not the last part.

* * *

**Author's note:**

Fourth chapter!! Fourth Chapter!! I have a fourth chapter!! Who would have thought?? I didn't even think anyone would read my first three. Now I have a fourth.

I hope that was long enough, I hope that was good enough, and I hope that you will all review to let me know. It's amazing how far one review can go in feeding a starving author. My next chapter depends on whether I have the strength and fuel to do so. Starve me and I will not write.

I want to thank all of those who have read this fic. And then all those who have reviewed. You people are brilliant.

**Thanks to the following:**

**Lady Gallatea Ravenclaw: **I thought so. I liked that fic, it was all super power with a reason to be super power. And the author is still going, she's amazing. The fact that she can come up with all those plots and ideas and not run out. _Phew_. I wish I had her staying power. Thank you for the encouragement. Thanks for reviewing.

**Von: **I thank God all the time :D. I had me in mind when I decided to bring his dev. Back a little, I though to myself, why put yourself through all the stress of trying to come up with legit ideas to try and kill Harry. He isn't invincible, just really powerful. :D I have never liked any of the Jame's characters portrayed in the fics, so I'm trying to make one who's likeable to me...but it's bloody hard I tell you. I just don't want to turn him into a bloody GarryHue. _Sigh. _So bear with me as I take off for a test flight, aight? Thank you very much for reviewing, and more for your encouragement. I hope I did your previous review justice.

**Gallandro-83: **:D Rest assured it's not in parsletongue I for one can't stand trying to march my way through all the long drawn out 'sssssssssssss'. I don't know if it's in any other fic but it's a different language. One of Dumbly's most loyal friend knows very well. He probably will regain his power's eventually, I'm not very sure yet, but I'll figure it out. Thank you very much for that positive review on my chapter 2. I've just had so many people say it was confusing, and reading over it again, I've wondered myself if I am confusing people. So to get someone who says that it's alright...wow. Thanks.

**Kaylee-Smith: **I reckon it probably could :D In my world where Dumbly and Harry are the closest of friends. _Long suffering sigh. _While reading through my fic have you noticed that I have been overcompensating for the all the negative Dumbledore fics out there? _hangs head and scuffs floor._ He's so nice. Thank you for reviewing, keep pointing out my errors. I'll compile it and then eventually once I get passed the 'suicidal delete fic' stage, I'll go back and correct it all. :D Thanks.

**Brin: **Email's coming right at ya. Thank's heaps for reviewing. You must love texting, sometimes I can't help but go n2 txt lnguge wen im on da net. _Lol. _Thank you for reviewing.

**Centra-gal86: **There you go, Fred and George are still alive. Different jobs but still alive. I wanted to do that whole WWW thing, but seeing as Harry wasn't friends with them and Voldemort is not dead and there is no tri-wizard tournament, we really can't have that whole WWW plot now can we?? And I know I could have done it another way but I thought that the whole Harry giving F/G money should be his alone. Thank you so bloody much for that encouragement on the reunion thing. For a minute I was scared that I had completely crushed that notion into little tiny bits, and then shoved it into the jar that Mathew was carrying. But I guess I didn't. You'll see more of the other people similar to Harry's dimension but I don't think they'll be completely the same. I've always believed that the way you act is affected by those around you, and if Harry was a complete Ponce then it stands to reason that it would have some sort of domino reaction. Starting with his dorm mates (you read how it was with Hermione), without Harry there is a catalyst to other's, and then those Harry-affected people being a catalyst for someone else's behaviour, they would change. :D Wow, I sound like I make sense. _Giggles _Thank you very much for reviewing. And get back to updating yours!!

**NoAlias: **Oh no another one!! _Suffocates myself with a pillow while I wail about the injustices of the world. _Lol. Sorry if I confused you, you're not the only one. That part about the majority you'd probably have to sit through and read over and over again until you've convinced yourself that you understand, even if you don't. :D Sorry bout that, Harry interaction with parents is going to wait until the next chapter. I was wondering if I could shove it all in this one but then I realised that nope, won't bloody happen. So thank you for reviewing, and I hope this update does justice to your reviews.

**Gaul1: **lol. The most informative review I've had yet. :D No negatives, straight to the point and also had enough time to say goodbye. Thank you for reviewing, thank you for reading, and I hope you keep reading.

There you go folks. I hope that was enough. I'm tired now, my finger's ache and they are no longer dancing across the keyboard. More like thumping, stumping, awkwardly doing a sausage dance all over my keys. _Sigh_ I had to do a lot of begging to muse so that she'd help me out. It's the reason why I decided to update earlier so that I could get it in before I insulted her again.

So thank you, and sorry for any errors, brilliant alright? If you have any questions, you know where to write them.

Yours truly,

**Stahchild**. And her muse, who insists on being called Ambrosia.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **Please refer to the Disclaimer on the first chapter.

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**A/N:**

I got a review asking why it was that no-one was suspicious that Harry looked like James. Here's an honest answer: I momentarily forgot about that. _cringe_ I apologise profusely. I now have to explain that away in this chapter, it's not a long explanation, short and to the point, in fact we can almost say "it's magic". That reason is enough isn't it?

I really am sorry, as an author I should probably think of all the holes that could be in this story and try to get rid of it or something like that. But thank you for pointing it out, it's the reason why I love (and sometimes dread) reviews so much. They point out things I wouldn't have thought of usually.

Thank you.

Now read on.

* * *

**Previous Chapter:**

Harry swallowed. Cleared his throat. And then opened his mouth to speak.

"I'm Harry"

Silence.

Dumbledore gave his infuriating twinkly eyed smile at him, complete with 'I-know-what-you're-doing' raised eyebrow.

"Does Harry have any other names?" this was asked by Ron, _former best friend_.

"James"

"Does Harry James have a last name?" Hermione, _they're all doing this to hurt me!_

He sighed and gave up; he might as well face it like a man.

"My name is Harry James Potter, I'm meant to be dead."

Maybe not the last part.

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Silence.

Dumbledore, Ron and Hermione just waited patiently for what they knew would come; sure enough the silence was shattered by a rather rude exclamation of disbelief from one James Potter.

"Bullshit!"

That was all it took for almost two dozen wands to raise up and focus on Harry. Hermione and Ron, out of pure reflective instincts, raised their wands too and aimed them at everyone else in the room. Harry noticed that Ron had his wand pointed at his own mother before realising it and shifting it just a few degrees sideways until he had it on Bill.

Harry had not reacted. He remained sitting in the chair calmly meeting everyone's eyes. Dumbledore too had not reacted, he continued regarding everyone with the same mildly interested look he usually reserved for such situations.

"Who. The. Fuck. Are. You?"

James again, Harry just raised his eyebrow. He was hurt that the people he had yearned for regarded him with something bordering on loathing, even if they had reason to do so....sort of. But he would be damned if he gave anyone the pleasure of seeing it reflected on his face, nope, he could be a bloody Slytherin when pushed.

Casually leaning back further into his chair and adopting a posture of extreme indifference he answered James with a drawling tone, meant to suggest how 'humorous' he found the situation....which he didn't.

"Like I said barely a minute or two ago, I am Harry James Potter. And really Mr Potter such disgusting language, try to control yourself in front of your son. It wouldn't do for him to take on your habits."

James eyes widened as he looked taken aback by the lack of concern or even interest reflected in those cold tones. He felt his wife's body stiffen beside him and his hatred came up a knot for the person who dared to make a mockery of his family right in front of him.

"How dare you!! How dare – " he cut himself off as he gave up on words and threw himself over the table at who he thought was an impostor.

Harry had not been quite prepared for the assault, but nonetheless reacted on reflex. As James flew at him in rage, he grabbed him by his shirt collar and bodily flipped him over the top of his chair. James hit the ground with a heavy thud, and a crunch that may have signalled a broken bone or two.

Hermione, not liking how fast this was escalating into violence, threw a stunning curse at the very angry Sirius (who was in the process of attacking Harry too) and then for good measure (because she wasn't very happy with him for attacking his own son, even though he didn't know) threw a stunner over her shoulder to the pained form of James Potter.

All those that had not raised their wands yet had them out now; at least half of them wavered between Harry, Hermione and Ron.

Lily looked from Sirius, to where her husband had disappeared, to the man who had the same name as her son. She was very confused, and extremely pale. Remus too was not looking like he was handling it very well, but he had always been the logical one of them.

Not wanting to hurt his mother anymore then he probably already was, Harry sat down, hard. Spreading out his hand's beseechingly in a gesture of surrender, he looked at his two best friends and asked them silently, to sit down too.

Once they had sat, Lily walked around the table cautiously until she reached her prone husband. Still looking at Harry apprehensively, she crouched down and taking out her wand she cast some healing spells around the vicinity of her husband's wrist, and elbow. Levitating him she walked towards their seat, Remus helped to sit him up on his own seat. He did the same with Sirius before both he and Lily turned their attention back to this 'Harry', they both seemed to agree that maybe this meeting had better take place without Sirius or James' input. Less blood shed that way.

Lily swallowed sharply, tucking her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture.

"I apologise for that," not really sounding like she meant it, "who did you say you were?"

"Harry Potter," came the succinct reply, his left brow was slightly raised.

She swallowed again almost audibly and then giving an almost depressed smile she weakly said, "I thought so."

Silence descended on the room, Harry's two friends were still steadfast in their protection of him and Order members were still trying to discern how much a threat this stranger was.

All attention was drawn back to Remus. Breaking the silence he asked stonily, "You don't look like Par- Harry. In fact you don't look like James or Lily at all."

All four dimension travellers lips seemed to quirk up in a smile, eyes reflecting humour at an inner joke, "Glamour" the green-eyed boy said impassively.

Biting her lip and wringing her hands Lily looked at Remus imploringly, the Werewolf must have understood because he nodded at her and then turning back to Harry he practically snapped out, "Drop it."

Harry's brow raised again, this time questioning the tone and almost asking mockingly whether he really wanted to test the unspoken threat. He looked at his two friends and then with a shrug at their inquiring gaze, he shook his head almost violently, reminiscent of a wet dog just out of the water.

The Order Members watched as the man's hair swung into his face with every hard shake of the head. When he finally stopped, he swept both his hands over his face and then through his hair. What they saw left almost no doubt that he was who he said he was.

Black hair remained, now mussed with the vigorous head-shake, but where once it had been wholly black, now it had thin streaks of silver running through it. His eyes, once jade-green, were now a brilliant emerald green, just like Lily Potters. Everything else was pure James, from his forehead to his stubborn chin. The lightning shaped scar was still there, dismissible and nondescript before, it was now a dull gold and sat on his forehead like one would assume a crown.

They were so involved in their unbelieving scrutiny of him that they did not notice Lily collapse into her chair weakly nor that their wands had been summoned out of their weak (and shaking) hands by Ron. Remus had given up all pretence of trying to remain composed and had sat down before his feet could give way; he was currently holding his head in his hands. Others were gaping at Harry, mouths resembling fish.

Hermione who thought it quite funny was trying very hard to hide her smirk and failing miserably. Albus Dumbledore sat fully composed surveying his members with an inscrutable look, hiding his disappointment behind years of experience. With a clearing of his throat and a rather grim expression he motioned for all of them to sit down. He shook his head at Ginny seeing that she was going to attempt to revive James and Sirius, and then he shared a meaningful look with Harry. With a nod, Harry stood up to leave with Ron and Hermione.

"Where are you going," Remus asks in confusion.

Harry looked at him, eyes unreadable, searching his face for answers, "Obviously my presence here is a tad hard to stomach, and frankly it won't get us anywhere. I will be working with the Order to help bring down Voldemort and his Death Eaters, but I cannot help effectively if everyone has a problem with me.

Albus will explain everything when I'm gone; he knows everything there is to know about me. Once you've all accepted that I'm here to stay and that I will not be catering to your emotions then I might share with you what I know. As it is, a meeting like this just can't happen every time I attend. I can easily not give a damn about what happens to the rest of you, it will not be hard for me to just do this for Albus, Ron and Mione, but honestly, I don't know if I'd be happy with the kind of person that would make me.

So I'm leaving. It was a pleasure meeting all of you, mayhap next time we meet it will be in a much friendlier atmosphere, and maybe I won't need to use skills more useful in warfare."

With that he nodded once to Dumbledore and then followed Ron out of the room with Hermione following behind him. Dumbledore's eyes followed his protégé out the room, devoid of twinkle but full of understanding.

Once he was out of the room, he gave his attention back to those still remaining and popped a lemon drop in his mouth, before magically sending wands back to their rightful owner. He then sat in comfortable silence, stroking Fawkes, and scrutinizing each of them over his half moon glasses, enjoying watching them squirm in their seats.

* * *

Stepping out of the castle the trio looked at each other.

"So? Where to now?" Harry questioned abstractedly, mind still on the previous debacle.

It was Ron who answered, seeing that they all needed a distraction from the nights events.

"Why don't we go to Muggle London? We can eat at Assaggi and then grab a movie, then we can take a look around, it'll be good for you Harry to re-familiarise yourself with London. Even if it's dark, you know how missions are; they don't usually take place in daylight hours."

They all agreed and then after Harry reconstructed his Glamour, disapparated to an alley in Chepstow Place, just across the road from an Italian Restaurant which bore the name, Assaggi.

Harry looked at the eatery, eyes glazed, overwhelmed by his memories. So much had happened in this place and he had never thought he'd ever eat here again with friends.

"Come on Harry," Hermione said gently, "let's go in."

* * *

As the trio reminisced and travelled London, the Order meeting was still in session, with a now fully revived James and Sirius participating.

Currently the room was now deathly quiet, a few of the members had overstepped the line and angered their powerful leader, so much so, that the old wizard had to raise his voice and demand silence.

Fury and Irritation clearly evident in his voice he regarded them all with disappointed eyes.

"I have explained all I can about Harry, you may believe what you choose to believe. I have told you his life story, every trial, every adventure. Save for Hermione, Ron and myself, you now know just as much as others from his dimension have ever known.

Just like many other things that cannot be discussed outside of these meetings, he too will be added to that list."

Voice dropping in volume, yet still no less deadly, he made it absolutely clear for all the members to understand.

"You have your doubts about him, but you will not have any doubt for his sincerity to help our cause. If you have problems with Harry you will go about letting him know using methods that befit your maturity and your intelligence. I loathe to involve myself in conflicts concerning members of the Order.

I do not expect you all to understand him. Nor do I expect you to appreciate either his sacrifices or his actions. But you will give him the courtesy that a human being would deserve and just maybe, the same compassion that you extended Mr Weasley and Ms Granger.

For your piece of mind I will ask him to keep his glamour, until such a time as you can think of Parricida and Harry Potter as different entities."

He then curtly excused the members and as they all started to walk out the door Dumbledore's voice made them turn back.

"One more thing," he said softly. "If any of you should ever think of attacking Harry again, my wrath will be worse than any you would ever witness and rest assured, loathe or not, I will involve myself in this.

Good night"

* * *

Following Dumbledore's warning most of the Order Members at first kept themselves away from Hogwarts if they did not need to be there, and away from Harry. Over the next few days a few members braved Hogwarts voluntarily solely to get to know Harry a little bit better. They found him very easy going, intelligent, well-spoken and had a few traits that made them think of the Headmaster for some reason or other. By their third visit a few of them were nearly positive that some of the things that the Old wizard had told them were fabricated and that this Harry Potter could not harm a fly. He just seemed an all round very nice guy.

Harry himself spent a lot of time with Hermione and Ron, helping with research in Dumbledore's private library (they had found some books written in parsletongue at the back of the Headmaster's shelf) and occasionally flying around the quidditch pitch with Ron (who had taken a few weeks off from work, it helps when the head is member of the Order) and visiting London at night.

Because Ron spent so much time with Harry, Molly Weasley had taken it upon herself to find out as much as she could about this man who, according to Albus, she had practically adopted. So one day, armed with a basket of food and enough love and compassion to knock out a Dragon, she flooed to Hogwarts to meet Harry. By the end of the two hours that she had spent with the trio, she had completely and utterly made the green-eyed man her own son, especially when she found out that he had protected Ginny when they all died and then if that was not enough, paid for her wedding and then walked her down the aisle. She had cried rivers when she heard of her grandchildren, and laughed at their antics, all the while making a mental note to invite the Longbottom's over for dinner. When she left for home her food basket was empty but she had extracted a promise from Harry to come over for dinner one night as well as a promise from Ron and Hermione that they would take care of Harry.

It became obvious to all and sundry that the Weasley Matriarch held a lot of sway over her family, for over the next few days all the Weasley's had visited Harry and had unofficially adopted him as an extra member. The Weasley twins especially seemed to get along with him very well, so much that they spent a night at Hogwarts, bunking in Harry's room with Ron, talking into the daylight hours, and then leaving with lots of parchments and an almost starry-eyed expression.

Harry's interaction with the Weasley's seemed to break the ice for more Order members, and by the end of the second month, Harry had already met and spoken to most of the members of the Order, excluding the spies.

His own meeting with his parents was rather stilted and highly uncomfortable for all involved, and highly painful for Harry. Since their one meeting, he decided that he wouldn't do it again anytime soon, and went out of his way to avoid them wherever possible including turning down invitations from Lily or Remus. They seemed to understand, but it didn't ease the envy and hurt for Lily whenever she saw Molly fussing over Harry during Order Meetings, it was times like that when she felt like hitting her husband over his stubborn head.

She was just glad that their twin sons got along with Harry very well, on occasion they would receive owls from them about how 'cool' he was, and how he was a 'genius' and details of every new thing that he had taught them. McGonagall also sent her a letter telling her how happy she was that Mathew and Daniel were now so well behaved. After reading it she yearned even more just to be able to talk to her son, but she couldn't take sides right now, not when her husband was just so adamant of his hatred for him. She just didn't know what it would take to break down the wall between them. She would have settled for dislike, just as long as she could get to know him.

That opportunity finally came just a week before Christmas, Six months after Harry had first arrived. She got to know exactly how deadly both versions of her son were.

Parricida decided to visit Hogsmeade, and it wasn't for Christmas shopping.

* * *

**AUTHORS NOTE:**

Alright it's short. I know! I'm sorry, but reality decided to visit during my trip and I knew that if I didn't get a chapter out now I'd be overwhelmed with all my assignments and such. I'd be more then happy to write an extra chapter if someone out their takes Computer Science and can take my test for me. _:looks around hopefully:_ Anyone??

So as you can see Harry and real family are not getting along very well, realistically I wouldn't expect them to anyway. Regardless of the fact that both James and Lily might have wanted to know the Harry that they could have had (in the second chapter), but when faced with him physically, it was hard to get over already stone-set emotions.

Not much action here I'm afraid, but then I'm not a very action-y sort of person, maybe in the next chapter?

I'm not going to answer reviews right now, but I will be addressing them in the next chappy. Reason being is that I need to get this up before my net account runs out, and right now I'm sitting on 13cents.

So I'll see you all next chapter, again I apologise for the length of the story, and if there are any errors I apologise for that too. I hope I've explained away the whole 'Harry looks like James' thing that Von came up with, if not, then just ignore it and blame it on bad story writing skills.

Thank you everyone for reviewing, and most especially for reading.

Until next time.

**Stahchild & Ambrosia**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **The one from the first chapter still stands for this chapter and every other chapter to come.

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**Author's Note:**

First things first, this is a novel length story, as is there will be questions in these first few chapters that will not be answered until later on. There have been questions asked about powers and such, but I beg you to bear with me, they will eventually be answered and hopefully crosses fingers by the end of this story all questions would be seen to and all loose ends tied. Once in a while a question will come up that I had not thought of answering and then I will address it in a chapter or in Author's notes. Hence the reason why I thrive on your reviews, you point out things I would usually miss.

That being said, I have had an incredible run of bad luck when it comes to finding time. Uni exams are coming up and my future depends on it :-D I try not to write a bit and then come back and add on because then it doesn't flow right (like my last chapter _shudders_), and you get bits where it shouldn't, and then you have a temporary case of writers block....sigh. So right now I'm trying to get this 6th chapter out of the way, I've got a window of 2 hours in which to type it. Hope it does justice to your reviews.

On with the story.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

It was nearing two in the morning and all was still in Hogwarts (save for a few wandering ghosts and a rather nosy cat). On the fifth floor in the west wing of the castle, eyes opened with a start and Harry Potter sat up abruptly. Chest heaving with desperate intakes of air, and body drenched in perspiration he scanned the room wildly with his tearful green eyes.

Running his hands over his face, he pulled his knees up and buried his head in his hands. Trying to put a lid on his rampaging emotions he struggled to control his grief. Before long the tears had escaped and he was crying quietly. His mind flitted from one memory to another and it seemed that it didn't matter where he was in the universe; her death would always be with him.

Voldemort had sent him a message via their link, around this time in the morning, telling him to go down to the edges of Hogwarts to find his gift. He had panicked when he took out the marauders map, he had looked anxiously for her name, but he knew it was no use. He had run desperately towards the forest, in his fear he forgot all about the Invisibility cloak. He followed Tom's directions and found her. Dead. On the edges of the forest. Her body had been abused, raped and disfigured beyond recognition. She was covered in blood, clothes ripped and torn, her beautiful dark hair stained with a mixture of blood and semen. He had mourned her there, on the edge of the forest; let his grief overwhelm him for a few minutes before taking the most painful walk of his life towards the school.

They had been enemies long before they met, long before they were born or even conceived. Her parents were pledged to follow the dark, his to fight for the light. She had been born to follow in the footsteps of her pure-blooded mother. Marry well, they told her. Marry wealth, they said. Do not lower our standards, do not disgrace our name. She had followed the rules and her upbringing for fifteen years. Right up until she broke all the rules to save his life. No-one was there he had been in her mercy, she held his life under her wand. With one uttered word she could have ended it all and elevated herself to a higher hierarchy all in one go. But she had spared him, and later she became his ally with two whispered words.

_Save Me_

In the depths of his grief he could only damn himself for failing. Faintly in his subconscious he felt Hogwarts prod and pull out memories long buried, to comfort him.

"_Thank you Harry....you shouldn't have...it's absolutely beautiful."_

"_Are you sure? Because if you don't like it...I can get you something else.."_

"_No...leave it...I love it.."_

"_I wish- I wish that we wouldn't have to sneak around like this you know? I wish I didn't have to love you in secret...you deserve be-"_

"_We've already been through this Harry....no-one can know. I wish it too, but it has to be. I refuse to lose you to save myself. There's no-one better then you, Harry...I couldn't feel this way for someone else, and I refuse to."_

"_Maybe one day....when this war is over? I'll come over and eat at your table.....I've always wondered what it would be like to sit across from Granger and Weasley...and then maybe you could return the favour and sit at my table...right next to Draco.."_

"..._I'd rather not, but if it means being with you then I'll bloody well suffer through it.."_

"_But it wouldn't be suffering anyway...having you beside me...I'd eat breakfast with a starving dragon..."_

"_Harry...I love you...I really do...this is the best birthday I've ever had. On my next one we could do something frivolous like...oh, I don't know...get pregnant?"_

"_(laugh)"_

"_I have to get back Harry...before any of the girls wake...and so do you. We can't have Gryffindor's golden boy be seen with a slytherin now can we? Your house would loose all reason for living and throw themselves out of your tower or something equally drastic like that.."_

"_That's why I love you, you know? You have a wicked sense of humour...I wish I could tell them...it would be nice to give you the honour of being the first slytherin to enter Gryffindor towers invited...might be a change from the cold dungeons..."_

"..._I'm sorry love...I know how much you wish Granger and Weasley could know...but...there's just too much at stake...I refuse to give that Megalomaniac leverage to hurt you...I'm sorry..."_

"_Stop it...you have nothing to feel sorry for...when it's all over we can tell them to our heart's content, by the weeks end they'll be sick of hearing it..."_

"_You have to go now, we've been here two hours already...I'll see you in the morning...I love you, remember that whatever I say in the morning doesn't mean a thing..."_

"_I love you too, and same for me...nothing I say mean's anything tomorrow morning."_

Tortured mind calmed by memories long gone, Harry slowly drifted off to sleep, secured in an embrace of a woman long dead. It was a memory only he would know; they never got to tell anyone.

* * *

He was awoken from his dreamless sleep four hours later by a hard knock on the door. 

"Harry?! Come on, open up the door would you? Let me in...I want to speak to you.." came the rather happy voice of one Hermione Granger.

Harry stumbled out of bed stubbing his toe as he went. Hopping and swearing all around the room, he grabbed his robe up off the dresser and hastily put it on before limping through to the living room and towards the door.

The brown-haired female's hands stilled in mid air as the door wrenched open and a scowling Harry, minus Glamour, looked at her in obvious irritation.

Rolling her eyes she pushed past him and waltzed into the room like she owned the place and then daintily sat herself down in an oversized chair, a rather old and tatty book in her lap.

Harry scowled again as he closed the door and limped back to throw himself in the sofa opposite her. He ignored her too bright smile and ignored her raised eyebrow and then tried hard to ignore her for the next five minutes.

He lasted two minutes before he could no longer ignore the irritating sound of her fingers tapping on the book and snapped out, "What do you want Granger?!"

Said female rolled her eyes again before replying. "Really Harry, one would think you weren't a morning person."

She ignored his glare and carried on speaking, "the reason why I'm here is because I wanted to know how the testing of your magic is going..."

Harry's countenance changed from irritated to awkward before she even had a chance to finish her sentence, glaring at him she asked the next question in a tone she only used when they left assignments till last minute.

"Harry! Please don't tell me you've forgotten?!"

At his nod she gave an outraged groan, and then got up to stand over him.

"You cannot just walk out there to face death eaters and such and not know what your magical limits are. Harry you told me yourself the first time we tested that your powers have changed....you might not be able to do something that you could easily have done before. You could easily off yourself during a duel by not knowing your limitations.

Please tell me you've at least done a full scan on yourself?"

At the negative shake of his head, she gave up on groaning and shrieked instead.

"No?! NO! That is it, we are going to do it right now...you've had five months. There's barely four weeks until Christmas. If we don't do it now, you're going to be too busy to do it at all. You have been extremely lucky that Voldemort has been rather busy trying to find out who you are that he has held back on his usual raids. I'll meet you in Albus' office in half an hour."

And with that, the whirlwind known as Hermione swept out of the room slamming the door closed behind her.

When she'd left, Harry ran a distracted hand through his hair and applied his glamour. He was tired from his early morning breakdown, and emotions that were still not settled had been stirred up again as he damned himself for forgetting to test his magic. He had been so busy and overwhelmed that he'd neglected an important rule, Know your magic. Rule number two of Moody's defence list, no less important then 'Constant Vigilance'. His guilt and his not forgotten grief provided Harry with a minor headache that could only grow as the day progressed; it was only eight in the morning after all.

* * *

"So let me get this straight? My magic has taken a backwards step and I'm no longer kick ass Harry? Bugger." 

"Eloquent as always Harry," Hermione said sarcastically before reverting back to a more serious tone, "that was a close call; if you had gone out thinking that you could still control huge amounts of energy you could have fried yourself."

Harry smiled sheepishly and then put his right hand over his heart and left hand in the air.

"I, Harry James Potter, here now declare that I will always listen to Hermione Anne Granger if life is at risk and stupidity is running rampant."

Hermione giggled and Fawkes cooed from his perch, almost in agreement.

Harry glared at the Phoenix and then participated in his favourite Hobby, talking to a bird.

"No-one was talking to you, you cooking chicken...don't you squawk back at me- "

"Am I interrupting anything...important?" a soft voice cut in from the doorway.

Turning towards the doorway Harry saw a rather pretty girl with black hair and familiar grey eyes. He couldn't shake the feeling that he'd met her before and decided to voice the thought out loud.

"Have we met before?"

The young girl got a pensive look on her face as she looked him over and then shook her head and looked quickly at Hermione before looking back at him.

"I don't think so," she said, and then paused, "unless I walked past you or something, I've seen you around the school a lot though. With Ron and Mione. Umm...maybe you've seen me with my father?"

Smiling Hermione decided that introductions were in order, "Tina has Matty and Dan told you anything about what's been going on lately?"

When she nodded her head, Hermione asked her to explain what.

"Oh, just stuff about their brother, about how he's come from another Dimension. Don't worry I won't tell anyone," she looked hastily at Harry, "we have the same security spell on us as the Order members, only difference is that the older members can break it. But yeah, they said that Harry is loads better then...you know..." she trailed off.

Gaining encouragement from Harry's crooked smile and Hermione's understanding one she carried on, "I've wanted to meet him but Dad said I'm not allowed. Dan told me that Uncle James told them not to either but they never listened, and they're glad they didn't too...I wish I could meet him."

Harry who had saddened at the news that his father had not wanted him to meet his twin brothers looked at the young girl strangely, "Why wouldn't your father want you to meet me?"

It was Hermione who answered, by way of introduction.

"Because her father's best friends when James Potter. Tina, sweetheart, don't worry about going against your dad's wishes. Since you can't call an 'accidental meeting' a meeting per se," she shrugged at Harry's confused look, "Tina, I want you to meet one of my best friends, Harry James Potter, Harry this is Christina Ariel Black."

Harry's eyes widened in surprise (that he was meeting her) while Christina's brow furrowed in confusion, a moment later they found out why.

"But Dan and Matty told me that you looked like...you know...him," she whispered. "You don't look like...him."

Like the night of his first Order meeting, Harry shook his head and ran his hands through his hair. Dropping his hands to his sides he cocked his head and looked at her with raised brow.

The poor girls eyes had widened and her mouth had fallen open. "No way!" she screeched, "wicked! So you're their brother? Really? And you're really from another dimension? Did you really die? What's death like? So you killed you-know-who and !"

She smiled warmly at Harry and then walked the few metres between them to hug him. She then stood back and looked at him sadly, "I can understand everyone's reaction now. You really do look like him. Except for the Hair, and the scar. And you're a tad bit shorter I think...and you're probably bigger then he is. And you got different eyes though, his eyes So you're the reason why my cousins are so preoccupied? Figures."

Harry laughed and then did a once over on her, "you have your father's nose. And his chin, and his smile. And you got his eyes too. Weird, never thought that Sirius would ever have kid. Thought it was a joke until I finally met you"

Christina smirked, "neither did anyone else. But oh well, not everything runs according to the script. By the way, you can call me Tina, just like all my friends and family."

"Pleased to meet Tina, you can call me Harry," he answered almost formally before asking, "Did you want to talk to Professor Dumbledore?"

Tina shook her head, "No, I wanted to speak to Mione about something. But if your busy I can speak to you later," she said to the brown haired woman.

Hermione looked at Harry and then looked back at Tina, "No, we're actually finished, we were just figuring out something. Harry's going to sit up here and wait for Professor Dumbledore, so if you want I can meet you in the Library in ten minutes?"

Nodding her head, she turned back to Harry and hugged him again.

"It was nice meeting you...finally. I'll see you around o.k? See ya."

Once she had left the room and the Gargoyle had slammed shut, signalling that she had left the vicinity of the Headmaster's office, Harry asked her the question that he'd wanted to ask since he'd found out that Sirius had a daughter.

"So who's her mother?" he asked curiously.

Hermione sighed sadly and then sat down in Dumbledore's chair. "Tina's mum was a woman named Ariel Prewett, younger sister of Fabian and Gideon. Ravenclaw, same year as Sirius. She died when Tina was 10 years old. She was a healer and she frequently made House calls when her patients couldn't make it. She was with her patient when Death eater's attacked Port Chaienes, they barricaded all exits and then burnt the houses down. Everyone in that street burnt to death, those that had managed to escape were crucified to a burning building.

Nothing survived the fire, it was all ash. It hurts both Sirius and Tina that they didn't have a body to bury, It's also the reason why he hates Parricida so much, he was a seventh year but he was very close with the Malfoys, and chances are he knew about the attack before it happened and didn't let anyone know."

Sighing again, Hermione shook herself out of the funk she was in and looked hard at Harry.

"Please tell me you'll work on your magic? Meditation will help clear a few of the stress blocks you got up. Start practicing all your normal magical exercises. We can't expect that you'd go back to super power Harry, especially not without the Link, but even in you're state, you're still much more powerful then any of us. Work up your body's tolerance for large amounts of magic and then we'll go from there.

It might be a good idea Harry if you purchase a wand? Start from the basics. Get your magic focussed and then start leaving your wand behind. Honestly Harry, don't exhaust yourself out. You're just not normal enough that any treatment would work."

Getting up she pecked Harry on the cheek and then turned to go.

"I'll see you at dinner," trailed behind her as she went down the revolving staircase.

* * *

Deciding to take Hermione's advice to heart he set about going for a trip to Diagon Alley. It was then that he found he had hit one serious glitch in his plans. He had no money. 

For the past five months he had been living off Albus Dumbledore, who gladly gave Hermione and Professor McGonagall access to his bank vault so as to purchase Harry clothes. He hadn't needed anything extra, and he loathed asking the Headmaster for money. So all in all, he was right out buggered.

It was this contemplative state that said Headmaster found him in when he came up to his office nearly half an hour later. Not wanting to interrupt his former student as he was doing some serious thinking, the old Wizard sat on the chair next to Fawkes perch and started to read the Daily Prophet.

A rather muffled exclamation of "What do I do" followed by a thump interrupted his reading a few minutes later, looking up he saw his child repeatedly bang his head against the table. Rather alarmed now at both the seriousness of the tone and his actions, he got up quickly and stopped the boy's head before he could bring it down a sixth time.

"Dear child, what is the meaning of this?" he asked concernedly.

Harry looked about at Dumbledore and foregoing answering with a usual 'nothing' he told the truth instead.

"I have no money," he said glumly.

The Professor gave a relieved smile reaching into his robes and bringing out a key. Harry being rather well acquainted with what a Gringotts key looked like interrupted him as he was in the process of handing it to him.

"No professor. I can't take your money. You've already done too much for me already," he said in a panicked tone, he hated being a burden to people.

Dumbledore just looked down at Harry over his half moon glasses with imperious blue eyes, minus the customary twinkle, watching Harry's thoughts as they flitted across his face.

"Harry James Potter," he said in his authorative I-defeated-Grindelwald tone, "You have never been a burden to me. You are the one person in the world that I long to provide for yet could never do so. I delight in looking out for you. Child, I have far too much wealth anyway," he carried on almost matter of fact, "it will do nothing while it just sits there. What is the use of having wealth if I cannot use it?"

Unfortunately for Dumbledore that reason just didn't convince him. So the next ten minutes were spent arguing reasons for and against (Harry) before finally, Dumbledore gave up and sending a note via house elf to McGonagall, marched Harry down to the Apparation point and together they apparated to the Leaky Cauldron.

Harry was momentarily silenced in his ongoing argument with the old Headmaster when the door to the Leaky Cauldron swung open and they stepped inside.

Silence enveloped the place as all eyes swung towards the most famous face in the Wizarding world. Tom the innkeeper, smiled toothlessly towards the old Sage and rushed forward to shake his hand.

"Welcome, Professor Dumbledore, Welcome. Can I get you something to drink? For you and your guest."

Dumbledore smiled warmly, eyes twinkling away, and declined the invitation, "My nephew and I have a lot of shopping to do, maybe next time my friend."

With that they swept out of the room. Rumours were already running rampantly through the inn concerning the Headmaster's 'nephew', and his whereabouts all this time.

Standing in front of the bricks, Dumbledore tapped out the sequence to open it up and then stepped through. Harry following behind looked around him as he went, eyes taking in the differences and similarities. The Alley wasn't as busy as he was used to, he wondered for a moment if the reason why was because each time he had visited was to shop for school equipment, but then dismissed it and reasoned the emptiness instead on the ongoing war.

Gringotts was still the same, but Dumbledore told him that the Ministry now had authority to seize and stop the accounts of those proven to be Death Eaters. It was the reason why it was becoming harder and harder to pin things on certain people as they all hid their allegiances very well.

Leaving Gringotts with his own key in hand and a bag full of galleons (Albus had promised Harry that he would never take money out of his own account to pay for him ever again.....so he had Gringotts create a separate account for him, which went around the promise very well), they headed straight towards Ollivanders.

Reaching the wand shop Harry noticed that nothing had changed, it was still the same purple cushion with the wand in the sign and the place still looked dusty and abandoned from the outside. Walking in Harry glanced around the shop remembering the place fondly, smiling slightly he gave a soft sigh.

"I haven't been in this place for years. Come to think of it, do you realise that I'm a 29 year old man in a 22 year old body? It should be 18 years since I last step foot in here, I was going to say 11 years but then it wasn't re- "

Harry's ramblings were cut off by the appearance of an eerie man with moon-like eyes.

"Good morning Mr Potter. Or are you?"

Dumbledore spoke up instead and while he explained to Mr Ollivander Harry's strange circumstances, the boy in question took a look around the shop. Walking along one shelf he was pleasantly surprised to find that he still remembered the exact shelf and place which Ollivander got his wand from. Stopping right in front of the shelf, curiosity got the best of him and shrugging his shoulders at the odds that his wand would still be here after all this time, he took down one of the black boxes to take a look.

Lifting the lid the rectangle box carefully (he didn't want to rob some poor kid of a wand that would have been an exact match) he looked inside, and almost dropped the box (and wand) in surprise.

He would recognise his wand....anywhere. Eleven inches, holly and phoenix feather. Reaching out a shaking hand he ran a finger down the wand almost in awe, he felt the magic under his fingertips and the warmth shoot up his fingers as his own innate magic recognised the wand. Grasping the wand around the handle he dropped the box and watched in amazement and fascination as the warmth intensified and the magic tingled in his fingers. Bringing the wand swishing down in an arc gold sparks came out of it, but this time so did a few white sparkles. He was broken out of his reverie by loud clapping and laughter.

"Oh well done, Mr Potter, well done."

Beckoning for him to come back, he took the wand out of Harry hand and looked at it.

"Hmmm," he said thoughfully, "a supple wand, good movement, great for duelling. Eleven inches, Holly and phoenix feather...how – "

"curious?" Harry finished for him, "let me guess, my wand is the brother wand to the one that gave me this scar? And that you regret ever selling the wand that did it. You expect great things from me because after all, he did great things, terrible but great..."

Mr Ollivander looked almost taken aback. He looked at Elderly wizard standing next to him who was struggling to contain his smile, and looked back at the young man in front of him.

"Albus has only just now told me a bit about your life, well, as much as you can fit in ten minutes. Am I to understand that in your world, You-know-who gave you that scar?" At Harry's nod he smiled sadly, "I am sorry then to say that yes, I do regret ever selling him that wand. Just like I have regretted it every time I hear of the horrible things he has done.

That scar might also be the reason why you received his wand and not anyone else or your other counterpart. An essence of him in you could mean finding a wand that is keyed into his magic, hence the phoenix feather. I trust you know that that feather belongs to the Headmaster's phoenix? Your opposite has a Mahogany wand, eleven and quarter inches, dragon heartstring. Brother wand to one Hornbeam wand, twelve inches, owned by Mr Malfoy. Elder.

I must expect great things from you Mr Potter. And with hope you will do what our own Mr Potter has failed to do in our world."

Ollivander then gave a small bow to both Harry and Dumbledore and turned around to leave.

"Wait," Harry said confused, "what about payment?"

He did not turn back but he did wave his hand, "do not worry about payment Mr Potter. You pay me every time you erase the destruction caused by the other wand. Good day."

* * *

When Harry started using his new purchase he found that his magic was stronger as it rushed out of his wand then ever before. He still had to say spells and incantations in parseltongue, but the energy needed to power a spell was notably less then the energy needed for wandless magic. Hermione was still looking for a reason, but Harry didn't really care, just as long as his magic worked, reason can go jump. 

Of course now that Harry had a wand and he was pretty much settled, Dumbledore decided that it would be good for Harry to teach the duelling class, especially since Remus would be knocked out by a serious case of Werewolfness (both Dumbledore & Harry found this quip rather funny). So for the last three weeks of school before the Christmas breaks, Harry Potter was introduced to the school as Harry Dumbledore, Headmaster Dumbledore's nephew, and an Auror who'd just moved back from New Zealand.

Though he didn't have anything to compare it to, he thought that the duelling lesson went very well. For the last week's meeting he spent two hours drilling constant vigilance into the students and went through the top five lessons of Mad-eye Moody's 'Why I will not die, but you will' list. By the end of the lesson everything the students had been taught about bowing to the opponent and walking to acceptable distances went out the window.

"Death Eaters will not wait until you have bowed and walked the distance before attacking. In this time and this age, there are hardly any rules in duelling. The only rules are those that you need to stay alive, everything else be damned."

"But sir Professor Lupin said- "

"It doesn't matter what Professor Lupin said. What are you going to do," he asked the class, "tell the person that's attacking that their technique is all wrong? That Professor Lupin said to 'bow before a duel'? Your enemy will probably laugh at you before killing you on the spot. It may seem crass, it may seem unkind, but that is the reality of these situations. This class is more then a duelling class. I'm imparting on you wisdom that has kept me alive for a very long time. So unless you've survived a meeting with a bunch of death eaters then you can ignore me.

Who can tell me what is the most effective way to get yourself out of trouble, when it's just you and your enemies?"

"Use a spell!" shouted one very enthusiastic Hufflepuff.

"Good idea, but what happens if your wand is taken off you?"

"then your screwed" said the same Hufflepuff, still without losing her enthusiasm.

"Really? I don't think so, I would hope that you don't give up that easily...can anyone think of what you would do if your wand is taken off you?"

"Get it back!" shouted a Gryffindor.

"Great Idea Einstein, the last spell you can say is a 'scourgify' for the shit in your p- "

"Thank you very much for your input Mr Freye, 5 points from Ravenclaw."

"Tell them that they can take your wand if they give you a knife" laughter filled the room after this suggestion, so much so that a little tiny voice could barely be heard over the noise.

"Run..."

Harry held up his hand to stop everyone, once there was quiet he pointed to a little boy with large glasses and black hair, who reminded him forcibly of himself at that age.

"What did you say son?"

The little boy swallowed and looking fearful that he had so much attention on himself he looked down at his hands and said, "Run."

Harry smiled, ignoring the scoffing looks from the other students in the room he said loud and clear, "10 points to Hufflepuff."

"You want us to run?!" asked one incredulous Gryffindor, "You want us to show them how much a coward we are? No thanks."

Sighing heavily Harry looked at the Gryffindor who had spoken out he said, "Staying to face a dangerous mad man unarmed and who is 10 times more powerful then you because you don't want to look like a coward makes you an idiotic fool instead.

Running, is the best thing to do. In fact, don't call it running away, call it a strategic retreat. People cannot judge you for how you act in situations unless they too have been in that situation; no-one has the right to call you a coward unless they are given the chance to choose between staying and running.

I have been in many situations where I have had an opportunity to choose between fighting and running, and you know what? I chose to run. I decided that my life was worth much more then my pride, for my pride was worth nothing if I was dead.

Just because your house is known for its Courage does not mean you have to disregard using your brains. Pride can be your downfall or it can be something else entirely, it will be a courageous man who can turn their back on and enemy and run."

After that little lesson, Harry divided the club into two (much like he did the DA) and set them to work perfecting the disarming charm. When there was half an hour remaining until the end of the lesson he called two people up to have mock duel, and after imparting more lessons of wisdom, dismissed the class.

As he was picking up the rubbish on the floors and straightening up the room the little Hufflepuff boy who had answered his question, approached him and stood awkwardly trying to get up the courage to say whatever it was that he wanted to say. Finally Harry took pity on him and initiated conversation.

"You did very well in class to do...Zachary is it?" he said kindly.

Zachary nodded and then murmured 'thanks'. Clearing his throat he looked up at his teacher and said, "Y-you're a good teacher Mr Dumbledore. I w-was wondering though...ummm...you see..I'm not doing very well in defense...if you could help me...please?"

Harry smiled and nodded. "Sure thing, what year are you in Zachary?"

"Fifth year. You can call me Zach." He said in relief.

Harry hid his surprise and instead went about asking him his strengths and weaknesses. Finally after setting a meeting place and time Zach left the room, in much happier spirits then he entered.

As Harry was walking up to speak to his Headmaster, a ball of flames appeared just a few metres before him and Fawkes became visible.

"Geez boy, I could have cursed you into a wall. I was just coming up to visit Albus."

With a trill the Phoenix glided to hover right in front of Harry and stretched out a leg in which a letter was tied. Untying the parchment from the phoenix leg he unrolled it and read it as the phoenix glided to stop on, and read from Harry's shoulder.

_Harry,_

_There is an emergency meeting tonight. By the time you get this letter we should have already started, I had it in mind to cut the Duelling club short but I did not wish to become the most unpopular headmaster since Phineus Nigellus._

_I will see you there when you have finished._

_AD_

Groaning out loud, Harry cast a burning charm on the letter. Fawkes who had not gone anywhere started pecking at his Wand, and Harry who had never ever seen Fawkes do this before smiled at the phoenix and stroked him on the head.

"Yeah, your tail feather, ain't that nice?"

He then headed towards the Hogwarts gates and the apparition point, Fawkes comfortably sitting on his shoulder.

* * *

Making his way through the hallways and the password protected portraits, Harry and Fawkes got lost a few times. Fawkes had decided that he rather liked sitting on Harry's soldier and had hitched a ride with him. Harry found to his consternation that when the phoenix shut off his homing magic and sat as a passenger, he really did treat himself like a passenger and therefore had the worst sense of direction of the two of them. They eventually arrived at their location, it took twenty minutes more then it should have, and Harry was fully prepared to flame the penguin- sorry the phoenix on his shoulder. 

Knocking on the door, it was opened on the other side by Hermione who screeched when she saw him and then hugged him. With a squawk Fawkes flew off Harry's shoulder, angry that he had been unbalanced, the brown-haired girl smiled apologetically at the bird before leading Harry in.

"Sorry I'm late, Albus," Harry said as he bent down to peck Mrs Weasley and Ginny on the cheek (it had become tradition). "Fawkes has the worst sense of direction ever," he finished as he sat down beside Molly.

Another angry squawk came from the phoenix as he flew past Harry and hit his head with a large wing. Resting on the back of the headmasters chair the golden brown eyes glared insultingly at the black haired man. A few members of the Order glad to have something to lighten the atmosphere, laughed at the display and it took a while before the meeting could resume, but once it did, the same tense atmosphere came back in force.

"Harry," Ron said gravely, "We received word that Voldemort is planning something for the next few days. They don't know the exact day, they were only told to clear their schedules."

"Hence the reason why we will 'clear our schedules' too," Dumbledore added on solemnly, "We will be vigilant. Moody? You know what to do my friend. I want to give ourselves enough of an opportunity to protect as many people as we can. Even if it is not needed. It is better to be over prepared then to be under prepared, and risk much more."

"We'll organise three groups. One group to look out for Diagon Alley, and another to look out for Hogsmeade. The third group I want stationed at Headquarters, should we need back up or should another area be attacked that will be your duty to look after."

Mad-eye Moody was in his element, dishing out orders and planning strategy. Harry sat back and watched with a smile as Ron helped out, arguing with Moody and the others on a few points, he hadn't seen Ron this talkative during an Order Meeting ever.

"What about you Harry? Where do you want to be?"

Harry was pulled out from his observations by Ron's question, with a start he realised that he had everyone's attention, and not showing any reaction answered Ron calmly.

"I want Hogwarts," he said softly.

The Prewett brothers sniggered and Sirius' eyebrows went up, "Hogwart's doesn't need protection. All those wards make it the safest place in the world. Not only that but it will be the Holidays, who on earth attacks an empty castle with no-one in it."

"A Dark Lord who sees said castle as the Light's stronghold? And if it's really the safest place on earth, then tell me, how is it that every single year I've been at Hogwarts it's been a constant battle to survive?" he said bitingly.

It was Hermione who calmed him down by putting her hand on his arm. "Harry calm down, they are right you know, this isn't our world, the castle is at its strongest."

Looking sadly at Hermione he shook his head in the negative. "No it's not Hermione, the wards were stronger back when I went to school. Even with all the threats, the wards were much stronger. The wards have weakened considerably and even Albus knows it. Why do you think I've been spending so much time with him walking the school?

Headmasters have such a strong connection with the wards and the castle. Believe it or not she's sentient in her own way. The greater a headmasters innate magic the greater the connection to the castle. I know I wasn't headmaster in this timeframe, in this world, but I was headmaster and that link and those memories still live on in me. Two people with an intimate link to the castle, gives her enough magic to strengthen her wards or rip it down if she senses that is what they want.

Tom Riddle was looked at as 'her' child, Hogwarts nurtured him and protected him. She gifted the same link to him as she gives to every Headmaster she approves of. She did the same to me, I had a link with Hogwarts long before I was made Headmaster.

It is the reason why the castle did not raise the alarm to Albus about Quirrell. She sensed Tom Riddle and moved to protect him, she only raised the alarm when forced to choose between protecting Tom Riddle or me. The new boy who looked at the castle as the only home he'd ever known, who associated every mothering feeling with her, much the same way as her former 'child'. She rushed to help me by making sure Professor Dumbledore's path to me was easy, but it was a close call.

Hogwarts will fall if I'm not in there, it may sound arrogant and unbelievable, but it's true. All this time, the only reason why she's never let her wards down is because of Albus, loyalty towards him. But if you were forced to choose between your child and your friend, just who would you choose? I don't think he realises that link yet. I don't think he sees just how much sway he holds over her.

She's been lowering her wards unconsciously for the past few decades, I guess in a way trying to entice him back home. Being in there, seeing my connection, sensing my feelings, it's given her a reason to fight. I can't see Hogwarts fall, and as much as you want to see the castle as a stronghold for the light it will always be a home first and foremost.

Voldemort will not join the attack. He will wait patiently until he's given a reason to be there. If he knew that all he'd need to do is find some way of getting me out of Hogwarts and then stand at the gates, so as to finally gain control of the castle he'd do it in jif. If she sensed Tom Riddle in Hogsmeade and I was all the way in Diagon Alley then you'd feel the fall of the wards a mile away.

Trust me. At least this way I'll be near to Hogsmeade if anyone should need my help."

A stunned silence met Harry's explanation, the sniggering had long gone and so was mocking looks. All thoughts of cowardice had fled from their minds as they considered how close they were to loosing Hogwarts. No-one could doubt his words since the Headmaster's silence all but agreed with Harry. For other's Harry's explanation on the Castle treating him like Tom Riddle brought with it deeper meanings. Lily had known that her son did not have a happy upbringing, but to such a point that the castle felt his desperation too? It saddened her enormously and she watched with an aching heart as Molly reached over and enveloped her son in a Hug, having come to the same conclusion as she.

Harry blushed at all the attention he was getting and mentally berated himself for becoming so worked up over Hogwarts, _get a grip_ he told himself. Looking to the headmaster he saw pride and love in his eyes, rolling his eyes he ran a hand through his hair.

The meeting then progressed normally for the next two hours; all the plans were laid for surveillance of the two places most populated by wizards. Kinglsey agreed to prepare the Aurors without letting them know exactly what was going on, and all the parents going on patrol decided not to bring their children home for Christmas.

After his little rant, Harry had decided not to say anything else, so sat there quietly, ignoring his mother's rather concerned eyes. Unfortunately for Harry he had never been very good at sitting quietly in meetings, and there had never been a 'normal' meeting for him, so he eventually started having a rather one sided quiet conversation with Fawkes. It involved sharing Dumbledore's packet of lemon drops that the Headmaster did not know his phoenix had 'borrowed' from him and 'Would you rather die...' questions. The Order meeting ended for the both of them, when Fawkes had decided that he was far too bored and glided to land on Harry's shoulders.

They disappeared in a burst of flames leaving behind a rather shocked room full of people and a perplexed Headmaster who just noticed his empty lemon drop packet.

Emmeline Vance who had watched the young man throughout the meeting and was one of the multitude of people who found him a rather polite and nice young man decided to voice what everyone else was thinking at that moment.

"He's a tad bit......strange, isn't he?"

* * *

Appearing back in the Headmaster's office in a burst of flames, Harry turned around and scolded the phoenix, who turned tail and ignored him. Sighing tiredly he decided to retire for the night and made his way out of the room. 

The castle had anticipated his return before he formed in the room welcomed him back with burst of 'feelings', Harry reciprocated the feelings and made his way up the staircases as they moved to give him a direct path to his room.

Just as he entered his room the castle started to give off feelings of concern and unease. Harry 'feeling' it checked the Wards and found them stable, checking the surrounding area he found everything as it should be this time of the night. He tried to project 'feelings' of comfort to Hogwarts and found that she was too overwhelmed with panic. Harry tried again to feel around the castle and found nothing, before going further out towards Hogsmeade.

With Alarm Harry found where the Castle's unease was coming from as there was a large concentration of Dark magic permitting from the area. Harry rushed out of the room knowing that the castle was never wrong in her assessments and rushed down the staircases towards the Headmaster's office. It felt like a long wait to get into the office but when he eventually did he grabbed floo powder off the mantel and threw it in the fire. Uttering the destination and then the password he stuck his head through the fire.

"Harry!" – Fred or George.

"Quickly!! No time, Hogsmeade under attack. I can't leave the castle at the moment, I don't know if Voldemort's there. Quickly!"

The last thing he saw before he pulled his head out of the fire was the stricken and distressed faces.

As he stumbled back from the fire he turned around and rushed down the Headmaster's stairs again, past the Gargoyle and towards McGonagall's quarters. Banging almost desperately on her door, she finally answered an irritated scowl on her face which quickly disappeared as he told her the reason. Shaking and worried she rushed about waking the teachers and securing the castle.

Wishing there was a faster way to get around the castle he rushed towards the second level on the other side of the castle to wake up Madame Pomfrey and prepare her for what he knew was going to be an influx of injured people.

Once that was done, he rushed back downstairs to the entry hall, scanning through Hogwarts as he went he found that the Dark Magic that had started to spread through Hogsmeade was now concentrated in the centre of the village. The Death Eaters had broken up into pairs most likely and had started terrorising the village house by house but had now met back together. A burst of fire and a trill greeted him as he reached his destination and Fawkes alighted to rest on his shoulders. Both watching the doors locking and the castle going into security mode.

Comfort and assurance flooded his link with the castle as she tried to calm him. Harry sent back a feeling of desperation and helplessness, he didn't like being stuck here while others hurt and the castle could understand it. Assurance came through his link, a promise to protect the students and professors, and a promise that she would not let anyone in, no matter whom.

Sending back a feeling of gratitude, Harry turned to the Scarlet and gold phoenix and asked for a favour. The phoenix cooed and trilled and they both disappeared in a flash of light to appear just outside of Hogsmeade.

* * *

James Potter ducked behind a house as a killing curse missed him and hit another death eater behind him. It was carnage, there were at least five dark marks floating in the air and innocent inhabitants of the village were running around screaming amongst their attackers. 

His heart cried as he saw an innocent little child get hit with a killing curse as she wandered out in her fear. He saw Sirius duelling with another Death Eater and trying to dodge the curses of another at the same time, James ducked out and ran low and throwing himself behind a barrel he threw a very strong stunning charm towards one of the death eaters and then ran out to duel another.

A few severing charms and a blasting curse later, Sirius and James jogged along to help where they could. They unlocked houses which had been barricaded shut in preparation for burning, Sirius gritting his jaw in anger all the while.

Reaching the centre of the village where a majority of the fighting was concentrated he narrowly missed a dark curse as it whizzed past his left ear. He threw himself into helping out Hermione with her two death eaters whilst Sirius held off the other two.

"Ron, how many more?" he yelled over the din.

Ron peered slowly around the ruined house they were hiding behind and pulled his head back quickly to dodge a very dark severing charm. Looking at James with wide eyes he asked, "you want to look?"

James didn't answer because the pandemonium seemed to fade, and became almost a muted noise in the background. Looking at each other the quartet prepared there selves for whatever it was that was coming.

"Come on out daddy, come out and play," came the childlike voice.

The quartet froze and looked at each other, their blood running cold in their veins and hearts beating faster.

"Daddy? I'm scared of the dark Daddy. Can you hold me?" the high pitched voice came again.

Clenching his jaw, James remained silent and with a shake of his head he motioned for the rest of them to stay silent too.

"Daddy, if mummy wants to meet with me then you should to," the voice mocked.

Eyes widened in fear and wand hand shaking, James looked uncertainly at the other three, who were in a similar state. Indecisive as to what to do and feeling absolutely helpless they all remained silent.

"Do you want to play like that now James?" the voice had changed, it was now a cold sneering baritone. "I'm rather disappointed that my sire is a bloody coward, Mummy dearest, you married a coward."

There was silence which was interrupted by a slap and then a whimper that unmistakeably belonged to Lily Potter. A distressed groan wrenched from James throat as he moved to run out from behind the house, Sirius strong grip kept him in place as he tried to stop his friend from running to what would have been his death.

"Stay still James, they'll kill you..."

"Let me go....Sirius...."

Finally getting out of the grip he sped around the building, Sirius, Ron and Hermione following. What they saw made their hearts falter and fear pound into their brains.

Almost twenty death eaters surrounded Lily Potter in a semi-circle. Her left-eye was nearly swollen closed and her lip was bleeding. Dumbledore stood helplessly down the street with a few other Order members with him, the rest of the Order that had come with them were scattered around. None in the vantage point to help Lily.

"Glad you could come out to watch Father," the unmasked man just behind Lily said. "I was wondering where all the Gryffindor courage had gone too."

"Harry- " James started imploringly just to be cut off by the person who he was addressing.

"I thought you changed my name....what is it now....Dray?" the younger version of James asked one of his colleagues.

The fellow shrugged and then said scornfully, "Parricida...or some rather unimaginative name like that..."

"Yeah, that was it...." he looked back at James. "What do you want me to do to your Mudblood Whore Daddy?"

James took a step forward and stopped when Parricida pulled Lily's head back and put a very sharp knife up against her throat.

"Don't try it Father dear, if I feel threatened at all I'll send her to join the headless hunt," he mocked. "This knife is rather sharp, mind you this is it's virgin run.."

"What do you want Harry?" Dumbledore asked from his position, he'd moved a few metres up the street.

"That's not my name old man! That name is beneath me, a gift from a Mudblood bitch and her unworthy line," he sneered angrily.

"What do you want?" James asked desperately.

"Oh no no no daddy. You're not in a position to give me anything. I on the other hand can give you what you want," he said deridingly. "Get on your knees and beg Father, if you want her back that much, get on your knees."

Frantic and hopeless, James saw no hope and sank heavily to his knees. Closing his eyes against the onslaught of tears, he wrenched them open and looked into his wife's tearful ones and started begging for her life.

The Order Member's could only watch helplessly, they out numbered the Death eaters two to one but to attack would mean Lily's death and they couldn't do that to James. As long as she was alive, there was still hope, no matter far away it seemed. They could only watch as one of their most proud members begged for the life of his wife and watched as he was ridiculed and jeered by Death Eaters who he had pledged his life to capture and stop.

"STOP!" Parricida demanded angrily, jerking her head back hard and bringing the knife closer to her throat to stop James who had been ready to jump, he looked down at her disgustingly. "See what you've reduced him to...Mudblood? See what happens when you poison the bloodlines? You've disgraced us!"

A inconsolable cry of fear, hatred and grief was ripped from James throat as he watched powerlessly as the six inch knife swung down towards his wife's chest.

"NOOOOOOO..."

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:**

I am bloody sure that is long enough. If it's not enough, don't mean to be rude but go jump into a river :-D No, just kidding. Seriously, I am now going to go and study.

Just a small request, if you review, can you tell me if I'm going at too fast a pace? It should slow down from here on out but maybe I've screwed up somewhere?? Just review and let me know right?

This might be one of my last updates until my exams finish (in two weeks). Until then I hope this tides over.

If I've confused everyone with whatever occurs in this chapter then leave me a line and I'd try my best to answer it in my next update.

I've had a question as to whether this is going to have a ship. To be totally honest with you **gallandro-83, **I reckon that Harry needs to learn how to live with himself first, without all the issues of being chased by madmen and learning to appreciate himself for who he is before he could even attempt to love anyone in a relationship. I don't think happiness for Harry necessarily means a ship, so I'm going to step back from that, maybe I'll change my mind later on in the story, but for now Harry's loving himself. :-D As for that little part with the mysterious female, it'll be explained later on in the story, I don't know if I'll match Harry up with her or not (my indecisiveness on romance for this story), but if I do she'd be the most likely choice. And no, I'm not saying who she is for now. I reckon a few of you will eventually figure it out actually. As for your other questions, we'll just have to wait and see. Hopefully I've answered a few of them in this chapter, if not; you're going to have to wait :-D I'm either evil or totally clueless about my own fic.

Bugger it all, as much as I want to answer each and every person's review I just bloody can't. My finger's are tired, my brain is tired and I still have to find energy to read through a text book, which will be a challenge in itself since my eyes are sore from the computer screen. So here are my thanks to each person that reviewed:

**Lady Phoenix Slytherin,** Ravenbslack, **Dixy**, NonyMouse, **Wolfawaken**, Kaylee-Smith, **jeff**, NoAlias, **gaul1**, Lady Gallatea Ravenclaw, **Huggiebear**, mick, **randllee**, gallandro-83 and **Larna Mandrea (you're another one of those evil people that like Harry to suffer :-D there's so many of you starts counting heads )**

**THANK YOU VERY MUCH!**

I've decided that this fic is going to be more then 25 chapters. I'm def. sure that I won't be able to express my creative self snorts in less then 25 chappies.

Until next time then? If you want to read some good stories check out my favourite fics page, some of them you might have read, but there are others that I have just discovered and drooled all over wipes keyboard.

**Stahchild & Ambrosia**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: **Read previous page.

**Previous Chapter:**

The Order Member's could only watch helplessly, they out numbered the Death eaters two to one but to attack would mean Lily's death and they couldn't do that to James. As long as she was alive, there was still hope, no matter far away it seemed. They could only watch as one of their most proud members begged for the life of his wife and watched as he was ridiculed and jeered by Death Eaters who he had pledged his life to capture and stop.

"STOP!" Parricida demanded angrily, jerking her head back hard and bringing the knife closer to her throat to stop James who had been ready to jump, he looked down at her disgustingly. "See what you've reduced him to...Mudblood? See what happens when you poison the bloodlines? You've disgraced us!"

A inconsolable cry of fear, hatred and grief was ripped from James throat as he watched powerlessly as the six inch knife swung down towards his wife's chest.

"NOOOOOOO..."

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

Harry sprinted like a man possessed towards the centre of the village, ignoring the painful moaning and groaning of the injured still lying on the streets. Behind him flew the beautiful Red and gold phoenix, so sensitive of the grief and pain of the innocent, his sadness just radiated off him.

Reaching a block in his path, he swore expressively, the string of vulgar words expressing his distress plainly where others would have failed. A burning inferno that was once a home had fallen across the street, its beams and arches no longer able to hold up the fiery weight of the second and third levels.

Quickly backtracking, he sprinted back to try another route, he could not spare the time that was needed to wade his way through the black magic tying the fire and building together. Rushing through the back of a destroyed building, he came to a concrete back wall, not bothering to use his wand he hissed and threw a spell through the wall. It blasted a path through the thick concrete and through the house behind it. Scurrying through, Harry quickly and nimbly leaped over the destroyed furniture and dodged the falling debris from above.

Coming out to the front of the house, Harry paused briefly to get his bearings back; twisting around to try and find a familiar landmark he spotted the destroyed sign that once indicated the Three Broomsticks. For a quick second he mourned the loss of the inn, before rushing in the opposite direction. He was only a block away from the centre of the village now but he was slightly worried that he could not perceive any noise emerging from that general direction. Only the screams and cries of those left behind him as well as the collapsing and cackling of burning buildings could be heard.

Quickening his pace as he approached his destination he found the reason for the unnatural silence in the form of a sound barrier. Mentally cursing himself for his foolish inattention he automatically slowed down and proceeded with the caution that he had previously neglected.

Looking carefully around the Honeydukes building towards the heart of the little village he made out a rather daunting group of people gathered around a small female. Eyes narrowing, he took in the familiar forms of the members of the Order, including Dumbledore who was standing on the far side of the street. Their postures and body-language were radiating worry and fear, and for him to see it from this distance meant that whatever was happening was really not good.

Creeping ever so slowly along the building, Harry approached the Hogsmeade Candle Store; it was the nearest building that was still intact. Quickly motioning to Fawkes, he indicated that he needed to get up onto the roof. The phoenix, who had been very quiet and had tried not to draw attention to himself by keeping close to the numerous fires along the way, glided to be within an arm's reach of his master's friend and then soared upwards with his burden.

Once reaching the roof, Harry sneaked agilely towards the far edge until he was within jumping distance of the next building's roof. This building's front had collapsed but part of the house still stood, including at least half of its crown. With a running jump he launched himself onto the top of the other house and repeated it a second time for the next building, this time with much more difficulty as the roof was highly unstable. He was now just above the gathering in the street, behind the cloaked menaces, and with a start realised that the kneeling figure in the street was his mother.

Swearing lightly under his breath he scrambled inelegantly towards the front edge of the half collapsed roof. Looking over the ledge he could make out Ron, Hermione and Sirius, as well as James Potter who had broken formation with the other three and had walked slightly to stand in front of them. He could also hear the ongoing conversation and realised sadly that the unpleasant figure, man-handling his mother was....him...or rather Parricida.

Growling softly he watched seemingly unemotionally as the knife in the bastards hand edged ever closer to his mother's exposed neck. When he heard Parricida order James to beg, Harry knew that he was running out of time to act. Death Eaters loved to watch their victims beg, it was thrilling to watch them humiliate themselves, and somewhere amidst their pleasure they realised that it was much more exciting to watch them die.

As he watched James fall onto his knees, Harry built his magic up, hissing under his breath wand pointing at the back of Parricida's companion 'Dray'. He noted with a rather morbid sense of humour that he did not have a plan and that chances were that if he failed, James could probably hate him more then the other version of his son. A soft brush of feathers on the back of his neck reminded him that his former headmaster's phoenix was still with him, and with a mental shrug he remembered Moody's lesson to 'use whatever you got' in helpless situations. Biting his lip he leaned down and whispered softly to his companion, he crossed his finger's and hoped that Fawkes understood his half-formed plan. The only uncertainty of this entire thing was the bloody knife in the alarmingly agitated Death Eaters hand.

When Parricida started raising his knife and yelling, Harry decided it was time to act. Swatting the phoenix unnecessarily hard on his wing it disappeared to reappear just in time to claw Parricida's hand rather deeply, and disrupting the knife's momentum and direction. Instead of right in her heart where it would have been, the blade imbedded itself in her shoulder instead. A wound yes, but not a mortal one.

Parricida fell back in shock and looked up in disbelief just in time to see Dray fly forward with the force of a very strong spell cast from behind. Scrambling back onto his feet he decided to stop playing around and raised his wand towards his mother only to watch as the annoying peacock of a bird grab her by the shoulders and disappear in a blaze of fire.

Screaming in fury, he ordered his Death Eater's to attack. The Order of the Phoenix who had otherwise been watching in a mixture of stunned disbelief and alarm, shook themselves out of their stupor and defended themselves vigorously. Their enemies' numbers had doubled unknowingly since the beginning of the conflict and they were nearly evenly balanced, the Order still with the odds if not the spells to match the Dark Magic used against them.

* * *

James had found himself face to face with a rather skilled opponent. After the near escape from the previous emotional rollercoaster, he was tiring rather quickly both mentally and physically. Throwing everything he had at his opponent, his movements almost sluggish and inept, only years of experience saved his life. Ducking the latest bombardment of spells he saw his opening when his assailant hesitated for a brief moment; James seized his chance and sent his curse to end this duel.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he yelled, feeling the drain on his energy and the thrumming of his magic as it lethargically made it's way out of his wand.

Hitting its target, he watched dispiritedly as the green light hit and the figure fell heavily to the ground. He shook his head sadly and collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.

No sooner had he taken a deep controlling breath he found himself rolling quickly to the side dodging a Cruciatus curse as it barely missed him and hit the ground harmlessly, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end as his body felt the near miss. Looking at his attacker with wide eyes he scrambled back in the dirt and stood up unsteadily, swaying on his feet as he tried to regain his balance.

Tired pain filled hazel eyes met loathing green as James scrutinized his once loved son. Collapsing back onto his knees, energy reservoir depleted and losing his battle with gravity, James closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable pain or death.

Moments passed before James realised it wasn't coming. Opening his eyes wearily he could only watch in fear and a small bit of awe as Parricida duelled Harry.

* * *

Silently congratulating Fawkes for a job well done, Harry sent a strong stunning charm at Draco so that he couldn't join in when another battle broke out. From what Ron and Hermione had told him, Draco and Parricida were a very effective team, the order were already tired and he didn't think they'd be able to handle the fight the two of them would be able to put up.

Climbing unsteadily down from the roof, he cursed again (the fifth time that day) his inability to access the larger portion of his magic, he could have easily used a wandless levitation charm to jump off in spectacular style right into the midst of the raging fight, but he didn't want to test himself since his ego probably wouldn't have survived the embarrassment of falling on his arse.

Nevertheless, he made do with jumping the remaining 2 metres from the pipe he was climbing down, ego still intact he joined the violent fray. His magic rejoiced at being put to use again, and he energetically sent spells here and there. Practically dancing across the street he indulged himself and did a little pirouette before powerfully stunning the rather scared death eater who had been his only witness.

Making his way back across he noticed a streak of green light in the corner of his eye, blasting his current opponent into a building he turned around to see where it originated from, in time to see his father fall to the ground (he also noted with some humour that James seemed to have done a lot of that this night, but he didn't think that he'd appreciate the joke). He observed worriedly as the auror forgot all the rules in warfare and ignored his environment. Taking a step in his direction Harry made his way over, deciding that stubborn git or not he was his father...sort of.

Harry rather felt Parricida cast the unforgivable pain curse before he saw it, and got there just before he could cast a second unforgiveable, the killing cure. Running hard, Harry launched himself at the unsuspecting Death Eater and tacked him from the back.

Rolling off him quickly, Harry crouched, low left hand on the ground, wand out and directed at the slowly rising figure. Sensing a volley of spells coming his way Harry jumped to his feet and leaped out of the way, before hising a blasting curse, a severing charm and an impedimenta jinx at him in quick succession. Parricida managed to dodge all of them with ease, just like Harry knew he would.

Both figures faced each other, illuminated by the burning buildings near them they eyed their opponent, and found each more then a match for the other. Gripping his wand tightly Parricida gave a smile, devoid of any warmth or friendliness; the term would have been applied loosely to the act.

"So you're the person I've been hearing so much about?" he said menacingly, before spitting on the ground before him. "Dumbledore's new pet, the newest weapon in the mudblood lover's arsenal."

Harry did not deign to answer, silently and casting a wandless shield charm on himself. His silence seemed to be angering his opponent as he threw a few of the weaker dark curses at him, all which Harry's shield managed to repel. Harry gladly reciprocated in kind, and sent back his own curses, none were above the fifth year Hogwarts syllabus, and Parricida seemed to notice this.

"What is this? Using child spells? Do not try to fool me; I know that you know curses much stronger then this."

Ignoring him Harry hissed a quick spell under his breath and with a swirl of his robes vanished into thin air, Parricida's eyes widened as he looked around wildly and spinned around to be hit with a blasting curse right in his chest. Flying backwards, he hit a couple of barrels and slammed into the side of a building; the shadows cloaked him and obscured him from anyone's view. Harry reappeared where Parricida had been standing before and peered into the darkness, body tensed in anticipation, wand poised and at the ready.

A spell came out of the darkness, red and powerful, cast with so much anger it carved a deadly path through the air towards Harry. Creating a brilliant light shield reminiscent of the one Dumbledore had used so many years ago, the curse struck it and dissipated, the noise it made on contact reverberating through the street. Ducking the next few curses, Harry sent back a few of his own. Back and forth the spells went, Parricida's position changing ever so often. To any who were watching, both men had become a blur, disappearing and reappearing at will. The spells used were cast with so much power that as they passed they were capable of making hairs stand up and goose bumps form.

Suddenly the curses seemed to stop. None of the duellers were visible, not even a sound of heavy breathing to signify they were still even there.

"You do not seek to kill me, enemy mine? Not a single dark curse?" the questions were asked in such cold and harsh tones, seemingly angry at the thought that such a being existed.

"Is such dark magic so beneath you? Such a sign of weakness. Pathetic. But then what would one expect from Dumbledore's own warrior?" the frosty, cruel and unforgiving tones cut into the night, mocking his opponent for even thinking of being worthy of such a battle.

A scornful and laughing voice cut into the dark tirade with words of his own, contemptuous and disdainful.

"That's the reason why you're evil and I'm not. The whole dark versus good issue would be completely out of reason if I lowered myself to such low depths and used dark magic, and unfortunately there's just no way that you'd find a ladder tall enough to get you out of the hole your in so as to use Light magic now, eh?"

And with that both figures, still invisible to the eye went off on another fighting spree. Colourful curses each with its own intention and meaning, the casting beyond the capability of normal wizards, the energy used to fuel them not within the grasp of many. The curses were used with such abandonment, the wizards using them disregarding all those watching, somehow they knew when a curse hit or when they missed, always knowing when the magic was on its way. Death Eaters and Order Members alike jumped out of the way, staying low to the ground as the curses became more and more stronger, more and more deadly and more and more harder to see in the dark. For a split second Parricida became visible, they saw that he was bleeding heavily and breathing harshly, agony was written all over his face and his left arm was broken and bleeding. He disappeared again, a curse originating from where he had been, it hit its target with a resounding crack, and the target flew back hard to crash into the fiery inferno behind him.

Somewhere in the oppressive silence and in the dark of the night a young lady screamed for Harry. Struggling against the injured red-haired man that tried to hold her she kept screaming his name.

Parricida made himself visible again, he watched in satisfaction as the burning building crash down to the ground with his enemy still inside, and gritted his teeth against his own pain. Bleeding and battered form outlined by the fire, he swiftly screamed in agony and disbelief as an equally battered, bleeding and smoking form stumbled out of the wreckage. Spinning around unsteadily he raised his wand and dismantled the silence and anti-apparition wards, staggering towards the prone form of his companion, he screamed for a retreat before disapperating.

In the roaring of a battered Hogsmeade and amidst the agony of those whose lives had been shattered, pops could be heard signalling the retreat of the Death Eaters. Back in the hub of tragedy the Order was quickly regrouping itself and rushing around dazedly trying to help where they could. A group of people swarmed towards the bleeding and slightly burnt form of Harry Potter, in the lead an old and very worried Wizard.

Dumbledore knelt down beside Harry and quickly cast a stabilising charm on him quickly followed by a cooling spell. He shook his head at Hermione when she moved to do a healing spell, summoning a piece of wood he created a Portkey into Hogwarts and gave it to her. Ron limped towards them, worry clearly visible on his face; behind him was his older brothers all intent on checking up on their adopted brother. Kneeling on the ground, wincing when he jarred his leg, he took in Harry's form, blood soaked clothes, the wounds not visible under all the grime and blood. He took Harry's wand out of his arm, coaxing it out of his hard grip, realising that even whilst unconscious and delirious with pain he refused to let his wand go. Whispering directions to the both of them, Dumbledore nodded once and then watched as the trio disappeared to the Hogwarts infirmary.

Standing up, Dumbledore took a look around Hogsmeade and started giving orders to the aurors that had turned up. He pushed his worry of Harry Potter to the back of his mind, knowing that he'd be alright...eventually.

* * *

Over the next two days the Hogwarts Infirmary was busier then it had ever been, and this is was taking into account the Potion's war of 1987 when a Gryffindor/Slytherin potions class decided to take their animosity to a whole new level and nearly blew up the lab.

Hogsmeade itself was going through a rather intense rebuilding phase, thankfully magic made everything that much quicker to fix, although the wounds and mental scarring suffered by the village would never heal that easily. Wizarding Carpenters worked tirelessly through the night and through the day to erase the physical horror from the town, and were pleasantly succeeding. By the end of the first only the centre of the village needed to be completely demolished and then rebuilt from scratch.

All those that were not mortally wounded in the Battle at Hogsmeade had been sent to Hogwarts. This included various Order members, including Lily Potter who was discharged the following afternoon. St. Mungo's sent a Mediwitch to help where she could, so therefore it was a controlled chaos if anything else. Harry's diagnosis was quite positive, he had almost healed completely save for a few bruises and cuts which could not be magically healed and Madame Pomfrey said they were harmless enough to heal on its own.

The second day after the battle, the Order received word that Voldemort had decided to once more refrain from making attacks. He was now overly cautious of the unknown man who'd fought his favourite, especially since Parricida had not been beaten so badly since....training with Lucius. They quietly celebrated at this wonderful news, true the war was nowhere near its end but the fact that they were given a time of peace no matter how short, it was a joyous occasion.

Harry Potter had become an instant celebrity, word had quickly spread that he had duelled Parricida and lived, and yet still managed to beat him up just as bad. Harry had morphed from Albus Dumbledore's nephew to being his illegitimate son, whom Albus protected from his enemies by hiding him in New Zealand. That rumour only lasted a few hours before Harry became Dumbledore's grandson, whose mother was Voldemort's illegimate daughter. Somewhere along the grapevine the rumour was completely and utterly disfigured beyond belief when Harry became Professor Snape's son with Dumbledore's daughter, who, because she was such an excellent charms student, put her son under a Glamour charm to save her own marriage. It was proof of the rather animated and unhealthy imagination of Hogwarts students that they managed to find an excuse to explain away Professor Snape's loathing of Harry; apparently his hatred sprung from his pain at losing the love of his life, either that or his forbidden passion for the young man. The latter rumour was so disturbing that Dumbledore had to interfere before Professor Snape went on a point's massacre.

By the fourth day, the focus of all the rumours had still not woken up. It wasn't until the ending of the fifth that the old headmaster realised the school nurse was trying very hard to avoid him. Wondering what on earth could have caused this strange twist in her attitude, he sought her out, eventually cornering her as she crept out of a hidden passage he never knew existed. The reason for her avoidance of him came as such a surprise to the old man that he could never look at the nurse the same way again.

It appeared that the strength of Harry's potions depended on how much and often he'd had to take them. So sitting Hermione and Ron down she'd gotten most of his hospital sessions, Madame Pomfrey had been so alarmed about the amount of times the he'd been in a hospital wing that she'd given him almost twice the amount of dreamless potion then needed. When she'd found out about the amount of times he sneaked out of the hospital wing before she'd let him, she had ignored everything she had be taught about bedside manners and ethics and had given him another dose of the stuff once he'd woken up from the first one. The professor managed to persuade her not to do it again, and the nurse said that Harry would wake in the morning, much to her displeasure.

* * *

James waited patiently as the Weasley's had a mini reunion with the just awakened Harry. They'd been in there for almost an hour and for James whom patience wasn't a virtue, it had been the longest wait of his life. He had been waiting now for almost two hours for the headmaster had been in there before them. He hated waiting because it gave him too much time to reflect.

During Lily's short incarceration in the Hospital wing he had been given time to think about the enigma that was supposed to be his son. He had watched detachedly as his younger sons had gotten to know Harry and had nothing but good things to say about him. He had watched from afar as the young man who had never had a family of his own be a big brother to two twins who all things considered, should have hated him.

That was what embarrassed him no end. The fact that his children and god-daughter figured out what it had taken him the near death of his wife and himself to comprehend. All the tales that he had been told of Harry's achievements could not hold up when he actually met him, they didn't hold up to all the things that he had to live through with another young man just like him. He had wanted to but he had been absolutely petrified at the thought of caring for the man that looked just like him, and in the end he had decided that the pain wasn't worth knowing again. His children had decided that the pain was worth it if they got a big brother out of the deal, and had risked it.

Now here he was, waiting for Molly and Arthur Weasley to stop smothering his son so that he could start apologising, and hopefully save whatever he could of their relationship....if there had ever been one to begin with.

"...we'll be back to see you again dear. You get some sleep and mind you don't overdo yourself before you're ready. Oh Harry dear, are you sure you don't want me to cut your hair dear? It's overly long and may- "

"I reckon Harry's hair looks quite nice. Suits him down to a tee....don't let her cut your hair Harry..."

"(laughs) I won't Bill.."

Finally after a few more minutes of light bantering they eventually left the Infirmary. But not before Arthur had to drag his wife out after she refused to go once she saw him, casting one more deadly glare over her shoulder at him she finally let her husband drag her out the door. The remaining Weasley's all nodded curtly at him, their body language warning him of bad things if he upset Harry.

Once they had left, James took a deep breath and stepped around the curtain.

He was met with the sight of his dimension travelling son reading a Quidditch magazine, and wearing Pyjama's which could only have been borrowed from one Albus Dumbledore. They were an atrocious lime green, which seemed to grow brighter the longer you looked at it, the teddy bears on the material danced around fruit bowls and every once in a while the fruits would change colour. It was very strange to see it on a 22 year old and rather....disturbing, to know that it belonged to the Headmaster of a prestigious school.

"They don't belong to the headmaster," Harry said, not looking up from his magazine, "he brought these for my birthday, he must have decided that there was no better day to wear it then today, that man is absolutely brilliant for reasons even we cannot comprehend," he said blithely, the last bit somewhat sarcastically.

Closing his magazine, he reached over and placed it on the table beside his bed. Taking his wand from the same table he quickly drew up a chair for him.

"Won't you have a seat?" he said politely, motioning towards the chair and then wincing when the teddy bears gave some outrageous giggles.

Sitting down, he leaned back in his chair and adopted a relaxed posture he did not feel. Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face because his son spent the next few minutes trying unsuccessfully to quieten the annoying giggles coming from his pyjamas, giving James enough time to relax himself.

Minutes passed before either of them spoke, and when they finally did it was Harry who broke the silence.

"Why are you here...Mr Potter?" he asked softly, eyes looking over his wand that he still had in his hands.

James flinched at the rather formal use of his name, but knew that he had never given him leave to address him as anything else. Finding his fingernails very interesting he didn't answer for a long moment, rehearsed words eluding him.

Finally he found his tongue and his courage, looking up to find dark green eyes on him he all of a sudden became rather frustrated with the pretentiousness of the situation.

"Look...can you...you don't have to...but can you drop your spell?" he asked, eyes scanning over his son's glamour face.

Harry's eyes widened slightly over the request before nodding his acquiescence. Shaking his head vigorously he repeated his actions of the first order meeting (that James had not been conscious for) and then dropped his hands to his lap. He watched his father for a reaction and was pleased to find only a spark of momentary panic before calmed and...smiled?

"I hated you....you know?" he said softly, eyes closing briefly in reflection. "When you first introduced yourself....I had never been so scared in my life. All of a sudden I was faced with the version of my son that I wanted, that I thought he would have grown up to be like given his upbringing and both his parents. And I thought to myself...who does he think he is? Being so strong and so good, when he had no-one...and I hated you more, for being what he never was.

But then I saw the way you interacted with those around you, with the ease and warmth that I see with Lily. I watch you become so protective of the brother's you never knew, just like you'd lived here all your life, you found and healed wounds that I never knew they had. You became the son that I had always wanted yet I knew I could never have, because in a way, you're not really mine are you? You belong to a Lily and James Potter who died to save you, one who is so very different from us, yet just the same.

I just want to know you...as much as I convince myself that _he_ is dead to me, a father cannot turn off the love he has for a son. For the first twelve years of his life he was mine, I cannot forget everything I had done for _him._ And I will not insult you by transferring all that love onto you. You deserve so much better. Please, let me know you."

Harry who had been quiet throughout his explanation nodded his head and then smiled.

"My name is Harry James Potter," he said solemnly, hand extended.

James relaxed visibly and returned the smile with one of his own, warmth reaching his eyes.

"Hello Harry, My name is James Potter," he replied affectionately, grasping the proffered hand tightly in his own.

* * *

When Harry was finally discharged from the Hospital wing, it was to find a long list of people wanting to speak with him. At the top of that list was the Twins and Tina, who were three of at least fifty students still remaining over the Christmas period, he spent almost an hour talking with them before they were absolutely sure that he was alright.

After them it was one Ginny Weasley who had demanded to know what exactly he told Molly about her other dimensional self's romance with Neville, Molly had been delighted at the prospect of being a grandmother and had gone about trying to make it a reality, unfortunately as quick as possible. She was currently, Ginny told him, trying to persuade her and Neville to skip the courtship and just get married straight away. Through his hilarity, he managed to tell her what he had told her mum, and it wasn't long before she found the situation rather funny herself.

Following Ginny it was Hagrid, who welcomed him back to the land of the conscious by nearly sending him back to the hospital wing, one rib cracking hug later and they were seated in his hut discussing dangerous animals and how best to break the law to get hold of them.

As he was leaving Hagrid's hut he was accosted by two red-headed identical twins. Using their rather unique way of finishing each other's sentence they managed to communicate to Harry how worried they had been and how they couldn't really talk to him the day before because of their mother being present, and if he didn't mind spending at least an hour with them perfecting a couple of......spells.

When he had finally gotten rid of the twins it was almost dinner time and he made his way downstairs to the Great Hall. Realising that most of the students were gone home he thanked the deities for that small miracle. He sent a warm Hello through his link to Hogwarts who reciprocated with her 'feelings', and went about aligning all the staircases for his journey down to ground floor.

Arriving at the grand doors of the Dining hall, he stopped when he heard someone call his name. Turning around he was greeted with a rather nervous smile from the fifth year Hufflepuff, Zachary.

Giving Zach a toothy smile he greeted him warmly, "How have you been Zach?"

Zach looked relieved for a moment before answering, minus the stuttering, "pretty good sir....how about you, sir?"

"I'm doing very well, in fact I don't think I've felt this good in ages," he answered cheerfully, rocking on his feet.

Together they entered the Great Hall, making small talk along the way. Harry dropped Zach off at his table and carried on to sit next to Ron who was beckoning at him.

"Hey ya mate, hows your day been? The Twins been to see you yet?" Ron asked as soon as he sat.

"Yep, they just left to go back to their flat, and my day's been pretty busy..." he replied. He quickly selected himself some food and started eating, conversation for the both of them quickly relegated to the 'not important' bin as they dug in eagerly and impatiently.

Some time after their third helping of dessert, they finally decided to try conversation.

"Oi Harry? How do you know Zach?" Ron queried as he sized up the Apple pie that had magically appeared in front of him.

Harry who was listening distractedly as he scrutinized the same Apple Pie answered rather absent-mindedly, "Duelling class, asked for extra help for DADA....oi Ron? You reckon if we go half and half on that Apple Pie it'd be enough?"

Ron who had been thinking along the same lines shrugged and then picked up his spoon.

"Mate, we weren't sorted into Gryffindor for nothing," he reasoned not knowing they had the attention of the staff table. Reaching over to the Pie he moved it closer to the both of them, and then proving the years of camaraderie, they both dug in simultaneously and in an action that elicited laughter from the members of the table, arranged their faces to very similar expressions of pleasure.

Later on that night while Harry and Ron were heading towards the headmaster's office for cocoa, they were waylaid by the very unfriendly Potions Professor.

"Dumbledore," he said in austere tones, all the while maintaining his 'you are way beneath me' posture.

"Snape," Harry returned with a false sugary sweet smile.

"Kindly refrain from showing off your many questionable talents to your Slytherin counterpart? There are those that do not need to be punished for the foolhardiness and idiocy of others, it's unfortunate but this world is doomed to suffer because of a Potter, we do not need the consequences of two," he sneered and then stormed away, Robes billowing behind him, and two former Gryffindor's trying to understand what just happened.

"I don't know about you, but that was long enough that it could have included a compliment," Ron said astounded and bemused.

Harry who was in a similar state but hiding it a little bit better just nodded his head slightly and then continued walking.

A few minutes later, the slightly less dazed men reached the gargoyle, whispering the password ("Cadbury Chocolate"), the two men stepped onto the revolving staircase. Entering the Headmaster's office a short ride later they saw that the Headmaster wasn't alone.

Hermione they were expecting to be there, but not the other figure. He was around Harry's height, had dark brown hair and light brown eyes. He had a rather cheeky but friendly face, a rather athletic build and could probably have fit Harry's clothes comfortably. He looked very familiar but Harry couldn't place him anywhere, it wasn't until the man smiled shyly at him that he clicked.

"Neville Longbottom?" he asked pleasantly bowled over.

The man in question gave a bigger smile and then stood up to shake hands with Harry.

"I've a lot about you from practically everyone in the Order," he said warmly, "Ginny, Hermione and Molly speak warmly of you, I understand we were rather close back....well, home, I guess."

Nodding his head Harry grinned merrily before explaining the kind of person he was in his former world. All the occupants in the room laughed when he enlightened them of the calamity that was his wedding, even the other three although they had heard it before. Half an hour later, after show and tell, the Leader of the Order thought to fill them in on the reason why Neville was there.

"Neville is your new team member; he will be patrolling as of tomorrow evening with you. Because Neville is a trained Healer he would be an excellent addition to your rather......disaster prone group," he said with a wink before carrying on in a more sombre tone. "I'd like to thank you all for volunteering to patrol London tomorrow night, under normal circumstances I would love nothing more then to see you with family on Christmas eve, but these circumstances have never been normal.."

"It's alright Albus," Hermione interrupted soothingly, "I think I speak for all of us when I say that we'd rather make sure everyone else has a happy and peaceful Christmas at the forfeit of our own."

Nodding heads all round indicated their agreement with Hermione's words.

The Headmaster, eyes twinkling again smiled tenderly at each of his former students, clapping his hands suddenly a small elf popped into existence.

"Briggy is it?" he asked the elf kindly looking at the small thing over his half-moon glasses. The elf nodded nervously, wringing her hands anxiously.

"Would you mind getting us some cocoa please? And some Chocolate if you have any," he finished gently.

The elf nodded again, this time less nervous, and disappeared with a pop. She reappeared a few minutes later with the cocoa and the chocolate, and left sucking heavily on a lemon drop which the kind 'Dumbly' had persuaded her to take.

Digging into their cocoa and chocolate, they spent the next hour talking about everything they possibly include, but mostly they told Neville stories of their past life. Had anybody been walking past the Headmaster's gargoyle they would have been rather curious to know what it was that was causing such hearty and unmanageable laughter in his office.

* * *

**Somewhere Unplottable**

"T-t-that b-bastard's ....g-going t-to....s-suf-fer...I'll m-mak-ke him p-pay..."

The aristocratic silver-haired man sponged the delirious dark haired man's head. Muttering soothing words under his breath he ran the cold cloth over his forehead. A miniature version of the man entered carrying a potion, stepping into the room at the same time as the house elf carrying a bowl of water.

"Dobby!" the older man snapped, "This isn't cold enough you disgusting snivelling little wretch," before hitting the bowl out of the poor little creatures hands. Falling to the ground in fear, he was hit with such force by his master's cane that he flew across the room and hit the dresser.

"When I say Ice-cold, I want it ice-cold," he snapped frigidly, "now go elf, and do not make another mistake."

Turning back to his patient he ignored the other man who had entered and continued to soothe the still muttering and shaking young man.

"I've got the potion father, will he be alright," the other man asked, trying to hide the worry in his voice and failing miserably.

The elder grabbed the potion out of his hands and poured the contents down the feverish man's throat.

"He has to be Draco," he retorted impatiently, "we have a meeting with the Dark Lord tomorrow afternoon."

Draco nodded his head grimly. Looking to the figure on the bed he realised depressingly that the Dark Lord would still be angry over the failure at Hogsmeade. And 'Cerastes' would take the full brunt of his disappointment...again. All the death-eaters knew that the Master's anger had not been quenched after the first round of punishments. They all knew that tomorrows meeting would be solely for the second round. Truth be told, Draco was absolutely scared, but a Malfoy never shows fear.

Anxious muttering and promises of revenge broke him out of his reverie and he grabbed the cold water from Dobby, kicking the elf out of his path on his way to the bed. Both men breathed an inaudible sigh of relief when Cerastes finally calmed down and went into deep sleep.

Motioning towards the door, Draco followed his father downstairs. A few minutes later saw both men ensconced in the study, drinking some unknown amber liquid from their glasses. Ancient books lined the entire wall of one side of the study, and the large intimidating desk on the other side of the room was littered with important parchment and scrolls. Abruptly and rather forcefully the elder man threw his glass, still half full of liquid, towards the fireplace. It shattered on impact against the back of the grate, leaving the liquid imprint on the back concrete.

"Find out who he is Draco...I want to know who he is...", he said harshly, _no-one hurt's my sons and get's away with it, _he thought, _no-one._

"And tomorrow..." prompted the younger man.

"Tomorrow...you will stay here. With Cerastes, I will make our excuses to our Lord," he finished wearily.

"That bastards going to suffer, I'll make him pay," he swore under his breath, echoing the sentiments of the Dark-haired boy sleeping upstairs.

* * *

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:**

What do you know?? Not even a week and I've updated. You want to know why? Because of the wonder's of plussage!! Plussage: your overall mark of your paper is taken from either the Exam **or** the assignments and the semester test/exam, whichever has the highest mark. And I bloody blitzed my assignments and the semester test, so it doesn't really matter if I just fail my exam because I would have passed the entire course anyway. So this is my mini celebration.

Alright, if the Harry/Parricida (or Cerastes) action was anti-climatic, I apologise...really I do. I am absolutely useless when it comes to action scenes, if I wasn't so anti-plagiarism I would probably copy someone elses...good thing I'm such a goody two shoes then huh?

O.k...the last bit of this chapter, I can hear some people going, _Cerastes??? What in the world??_ You honestly didn't think that the death eater's themselves would call their boy wonder 'Parricida' now did you? Nope....Lucius Malfoy gave Harry his name after Harry decided to defect over in his second year. Cerastes means 'horned snake'....to be frank, I liked the sound of Cerastes better then all the other choices (I liked 'Draco' until I realised that it was already taken :D hehe). But who knows what goes on in Lucius Malfoy's head, maybe he has some sentimental reason for naming him that, that we muggles just would never understand.

As you can see, the Malfoy's are rather...human. Which is good, because they will feel all the extreme emotions that come with being...human. And before you wonder whether such a loving and caring display means redemption for the Malfoy's, the answer is...no. Sorry. Being good looking and drop dead sexy in a movie isn't reason enough for me to want to save them :D

Yeah, about Lily...I was seriously this close (holds up forefinger and thumb) to totally killing her off. But then I realised that it was my dislike of all things James that was rearing it's ugly head so I quickly shoved it back in the closet. So she's alive...but if I read one more fic with 'arrogant moron' James I'll be killing her off as revenge for all my anti-james feelings. I can't do anything about other fics, but I sure as hell can do something about mine. _Smiles sweetly._

Any other questions left unanswered?

Oh yes, there you go **gallandro-83**, there's darling Neville. As for the wands, no they don't know that their wand cores are the same. Nor will they, maybe you can't tell in my fic :D but Ollivander doesn't tell everyone information of specific wands. He only tells those that need to know, and Harry needed to know. Harry's former lover may be rearing her head sometime (and yes, sorry slashers, it's a 'her') later on in the fic, and you'll get to see more of Harry's little 2am panic attacks. And Ariel is Ravenclaw, already mentioned it in chapter...five, I think. The Prophecy is pretty much null and void in this dimension. Voldemort never marked anyone as his equal, therefore the Longbottoms survived and so did the Potters. Since Harry hasn't been having any of his 'damn migraine' attacks lately, then we can safely assume that he never will, and that his connection with this Voldemort is pretty much dead (thank God! There is only so many 'attack of the major scar twinges' I can take). That isn't to say that there might be another link, _shrugs, _my muse is working on it.

What happened to Hermione and Ron of this time? They're well...dead. :D They got hit with a motherload of dark curses (yes I didn't explain it, but I think that this is rather convenient for me...hahaha), and it was enough for whoever it is that decides semi-reincarnations/spirit transposing to shove 'our' Hermione and Ron into the storyline....me and the deities have got an understanding. Anyway the dark curses would have killed anyone else, but by the meddling of the powers that be (via author) they went into a deep deep coma instead. Yep, that's my reason, and I'm sticking with it. Thanks for asking **Vire.**

You know what? I hate cliffies too. They are completely and utterly ridiculous and no story needs them, they're evil and chances are they're satans tools to keep people away from socialising with the real world and coming back into the evil that 'computers' and 'internet' just to see if someone's updated to get rid of said cliffie.

But Cliffies have to be used to preserve the balance between good and evil. It's either that or it's a great excuse for the author to think up the next part of her story..._snort, _I'd never do that. Honest.

So thank you all to my wonderful reviewers. I know that this is a tad bit shorter then what I've written lately, but I reckon that as long as I keep my min. words above 3000 I'm pretty much set. I've read one story that had 9 chapters and a total word amount of 2000 or something like that, and she had a shiz load of author's notes. :D Like what I'm doing now....whoops.

Anyway, **_thank you_** to everyone who read and most especially reviewed:

**Leo Gryff (it's not really important per se, it's just alluded to a small tiny bit),** gina87 (here's the chapter), **ShaeLynn (yes I did have to end it there :D and who rec'd it? I'd like to thank the person),** TruthxInxShadow (don't hate me), **Citan (Alright, romance for Harry later then...much later :D),** Amora (thank you for that, if you want to read another dimension travelling one check my favourites list, story is called Deceptive Rewards), **CrazyPsychoBananaHead (lol what an interesting name...and you're the only person who liked the cliffie),** Danny boy (alright, slytherin for Harry later on....much later), **Von (I don't like annoying you :D I think it might be dangerous for my health),** Shawnculli (Thank you, wish I could claim the idea as my own, but unfortunately the dimension one has been jumping around the fanfic base for a while, I just changed it a bit), **Aurora (I didn't really make you wait...just a little :D), **TopQuark (my life is complete....someone said my fic rules :D), **gaul1 (yes huge cliffie, :D and I aim to please),** Zaln (lol...How eloquent ;) thank you for going against your norm and reviewing, I hope that this lives up to your expectations...I hope so), **Wytil (Harry was still in his glamour mind you.....so not really a shock as much as the ass kicking he semi got...),** Szihuoko (you're not selfish, hopefully other author's see how often I update and rush to emulate me ;) it's quite easy, you just have give up ever having a life), **grand griffon (have I told you how much I love your stories?? And your favourites list _drools_), **Lady Gallatea Ravenclaw (I had to have a cliffie because I didn't know what to do next :D forgive me?), **Huggiebear (:D I take it that no-one really likes cliffies then? Alright I'll take it down to a minimum...right down to a min.).**


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